BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 8 Twofold increase in England’s Portuguese Jones is fi rms INDEX champion DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 6-14, 34 COMMENT 32, 33 exporting REGION 15 BUSINESS 1 -7, 21-24 to Qatar again 20,863.00 10,361.03 48.78 ARAB WORLD 15, 16 CLASSIFIED 8-20 -19.00 +69.17 +0.03 INTERNATIONAL 17-31 SPORTS 1 - 8 -0.09% +0.67% +0.06% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

SUNDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10397 March 19, 2017 Jumada II 20, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Abbas arrives in Doha Qatar’s private In brief

EUROPE | Security education sector Attacker shot dead at Paris’ Orly airport Troops at Paris’ Orly airport yesterday shot dead a man who tried to grab a female soldier’s weapon, revenue jumps triggering a major security alert that shut down the airport, leaving atar’s private education sector The ministry has projected demand for tween 2010 and 2015, which highlights thousands stranded. Prosecutors has seen nearly threefold rise school education to continue to grow the increasing role of the private sector said they had opened an anti-terror Qits revenue in four years - to over the next fi ve years. in the education sector. investigation. France goes to the QR5.8bn in 2015 from QR2bn in 2011, The report shows an 83.7% increase The report highlighted the “impor- polls on April 23 in the first round shows a study by the Ministry of Econ- in the number of university students tant” contribution of the sector to eco- of a two-stage presidential election omy and Commerce (MEC). across Qatar from 15,300 in 2010 to nomic development, particularly when in which security is one of the The study, based on the economic 28,100 in 2014 as “public universities” it comes to the supply of skilled labour main issues on voters’ minds. The contribution of the country’s educa- hosted 88.9% of new students. that enhances the competitiveness of shooting took place on the second tion sector, notes that the education As per the report, the number of the national economy. day of an off icial visit to Paris by sector’s “nominal” output rose by an schools has seen a signifi cant growth Similarly, there has also been a Britain’s Prince William and his wife annual average of 12.1% over the past between 2010 and 2014, with the es- “great” contribution of the educa- Kate. Page 25 fi ve years (2011-2015). tablishment of some 243 new schools. tion sector towards employment in The average increase in the educa- Kindergarten schools accounted for the country. The sector employed as tion sector’s output surpassed nominal two-thirds of the newly established in- many as 50,600 people in 2015, up from BUSINESS | Economy GDP growth, thus raising its contribu- stitutions, followed by primary schools 26,900 in 2011, a twofold increase that US climate scepticism tion to nominal GDP growth from 1.1% at 18%. Preparatory and secondary surpasses the overall increase in em- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Doha yesterday on a working in 2011 to 1.8% in 2015. schools accounted for 7% and 9%, re- ployment across Qatar, which stood at clouds G20 meeting visit to Qatar. President Abbas and the accompanying delegation were welcomed The real output also rose signifi cantly, spectively, of newly established schools. 53.9% during the same period. After threatening environmental upon arrival at Hamad International Airport by the Minister of State for Foreign at an annual average rate of 8.5%, twice The increase in the number of In 2015, the education sector em- financing with the axe, US President Aff airs, HE Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi, and the Palestinian ambassador to Qatar the real GDP growth average rate. This schools was driven by a 36% rise in the ployed 2.6% of Qatar’s workforce, Donald Trump’s administration Munir Ghannam. has raised the sector’s contribution from number of students, from 197,000 in compared to 2.1% in 2011. As of 2015, yesterday defied the international 1.1% in 2011 to 1.3% of real GDP in 2015. 2010 to 268,000 in 2015. the education sector employed 12% community by refusing to renew a GCC chief slams mosque bombing in Yemen The ministry has highlighted prom- Private schools welcomed 84% of of the Qatari workforce, making it the pledge on combating climate change. ising outlook in the education sector, new students throughout the diff er- second largest employer of Qataris af- Finance ministers from the G20 top GCC Secretary General Dr Abdullatif is a heinous terrorist crime which is calling for an increase in investment ent education stages and accounted for ter the civil and military government economies meeting in Baden-Baden bin Rashid al-Zayani yesterday strongly incompatible with the principles of in private educational institutions. 80% of newly established schools be- agencies. were forced to leave out an entire condemned a missile attack against a Shariah and international law, stressing section related to the Paris accord mosque in Sirwah directorate, in Marib that targeting places of worship and on combating climate change, after province, killing and wounding scores shedding the blood of innocent people Thundershowers and dusty conditions forecast for today Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin of innocent worshippers. In a statement are terrorist crimes and represent a said green issues were “not in my to Saudi Press agency (SPA), the GCC dangerous escalation which cannot be The rainy spell is likely to resume with The wind speed may go up to 26 knots in system”. Normal weather is expected from track”. Page 23 chief stressed that this rocket attack justifi ed or tolerated. the Qatar Met department forecasting some inshore areas at times, while off shore it Wednesday. The detailed forecast for today thundershowers in the country today along may reach a high of 25-30 knots. says it will be hazy in the early hours of the with strong winds and dusty conditions. Earlier, the Met department had said there day, and slight to blowing dust is also likely The weather offi ce has also said thundery would be renewed chances of rain in the at times. It will also be cloudy and there is rain, windy conditions and high seas are country from today until Tuesday due a chance of scattered rain, which may be New interchanges open at expected in off shore areas today. to a “deepening upper-level low-pressure thundery in some places. Rayyan-Dukhan Corridor

By Ramesh Mathew Staff Reporter

he ongoing development of the 45km Al Rayyan-Dukhan Cor- Tridor got a major boost yester- day with the opening of two key in- terchanges - located between Al Shafi Street and Al Rayyan Road and between Al Qalaa (Fort) Street and Al Rayyan Road. The fi rst phase of the Al Rayyan Road Upgrade Project was opened in the presence of HE Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications; HE Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, Minister of Mu- HE the Minister of Transport and Communication Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, HE nicipality and Environment; Dr Saad the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, bin Ahmed al-Muhannadi, president of Ashghal president Dr Saad bin Ahmed al-Muhannadi, head of the expressway the Public Works Authority (Ashghal); projects Yousef al-Emadi and others on an inspection tour of the Al Qalaa and a number of senior offi cials from Interchange yesterday. PICTURE: Jayan Orma the Ministry of Municipality and En- vironment, Ministry of Transport and Three lanes in each direction have a service tunnel, 5km of storm-water Communications, Ashghal, General been opened to traffi c, despite the drainage networks, treated sewage ef- Directorate of Traffi c at the Ministry of completion of all four lanes in each di- fl uent, sewage networks and street Interior and Al Rayyan Municipality. rection. Ashghal has said the other lane lighting poles have been completed. The phase extends for about 2.9km will be opened pending the completion In all, the entire Al Rayyan-Dukhan from the western side of the Khalid Bin of works on other phases of the project, Corridor has fi ve expressway projects Abdullah Al Attiyah roundabout (New which currently involve traffi c diver- that are being simultaneously imple- Al Rayyan roundabout) to the eastern sions, in order to avoid congestion. mented and includes a total of 17 inter- side of the Bani Hajer roundabout. The Besides the two interchanges that changes. project has been implemented at a cost have been opened, the project includes While more sections are expected of QR1.08bn so far. another signalled intersection on Al to be commissioned in the coming Speaking at the formal launch of Wajba Street, which is expected to be months, the fi nal completion is likely to the interchanges, Dr al-Muhannadi completed in coming months. take place in the second or third quarter stressed that the opening of the fi rst The interchanges opened yesterday of 2018. phase would contribute to the im- include two underpasses that provide Other projects of the Al Rayyan- provement of traffi c movement in the continuous traffi c movement along Al Dukhan Corridor are the 18km Dukhan area and shorten travel time by around Rayyan Road and also have traffi c sig- Highway Central between Al Wajba In- 20-30%. nals on the ground level to facilitate the terchange to the east of Al Sheehaniya, “The full positive impact will clearly fl ow of vehicles to and from Al Rayyan the 12km Dukhan Highway East from appear after completion of the main Al Road from neighbouring areas, espe- the west of Al Wajba Interchange to the Rayyan-Dukhan Corridor in 2018, after cially residential localities on Al Qalaa east of the Tilted Interchange (near Qa- which more than half the travel time Street and commercial areas on Al Shafi tar Foundation), and along Al Gharafa will be shortened.” Street. This will help reduce congestion Road from the south of Al Rayyan Road The Al Rayyan-Dukhan Corridor on internal roads and reduce depend- to the north of Thani Bin Jassim Street, extends from the western side of the ence on them. Phase 2 of the 9.5km Al Rayyan Road Olympic roundabout to Dukhan Road The project also includes the con- upgrade between the west of Olym- and connects with the Al Sheehaniya- struction of pedestrian and cycle paths pic roundabout and west of Khalid Bin Leatooriya-Lijmiliya road. in order to encourage people to walk Abdulla roundabout and the 31km Al The work includes the construction and use bicycles, which are environ- Sheehaniya-Leatooriya-Lijmiliya road of four lanes in each direction, separated ment-friendly means of transportation from Dukhan Highway through the by a median, nearly 2km of side roads and also help reduce traffi c congestion. Camel Race Track (in Sheehaniya) to and around 5.8km of service roads. As part of the infrastructure works, Leatooriya. Page 34

Gulf Times 6 Sunday, March 19, 2017 QATAR

Qatar participates in Tripoli Qur’an contest

Qatar, represented by the and Tajweed recitation of the International Competition. Ministry of Endowments Qur’an” section. He also achieved the second and Islamic Aff airs, will take Abu Shareeda won place in Algeria International Ooredoo launches Endless Internet Packs part in first edition of Tripoli advanced positions in Award, and third place International Competition of several international in Malaysia International Holy Qur’an, which will kick competitions over the past Qur’an Contest. oredoo has an- lected data allowance lasts”. high-speed connection. able customers to keep surf- less Internet Packs ranging off today in Lebanon. years, including the first Thirty contestants from nounced the launch Once the allowance of Waleed al-Sayed, CEO of ing the web without being from 250MB as an add-on Abdullah Hamad Salem Abu place in both Khartoum as many countries around Oof a range of new full-speed Internet is con- Ooredoo Qatar, said: “Our surprised by out-of-bundle for QR20 to the unlimited Shareedah will represent International Holy Qur’an the world will participate in Endless Internet Packs, of- sumed, it will be followed customers are increasingly charges at the end of the pack for QR500. Other de- Qatar in the “memorisation Award and King Abdulaziz Tripoli contest. fering “full bill protection by unlimited Internet at a looking to be online full- month. This is a major step nominations include 6GB, and minimised prices”. reduced speed at no addi- time and want to enjoy the forward in enhancing our 10GB, 14GB, 20GB, 30GB This comes as the com- tional cost until the user’s maximum potential of their customers’ data experience, and 45GB packs to be used pany continues to push for next month’s allowance be- digital lifestyles. We’ve re- and another important on top of Shahry Smart sub- a leading data experience in gins and full-speed usage is viewed our postpaid Data boost for our users.” scriptions, or as a separate Qatar for all its customers, renewed. Packs and deployed innova- Customers can choose Internet SIM for tablet and Ooredoo has said in a press tive new technology to en- from one of eight End- laptop use. statement. “This is a major step The new Endless Inter- forward in enhancing net Packs come with “new our customers’ data features that allow Oore- experience” doo customers to enjoy never-ending Internet with To ensure that customers no additional charges or who need to be connected surprise bills at the end of to Ooredoo’s super-fast the month”, the statement speeds at all times are ca- noted. Instead, Endless In- tered to, the company has ternet Pack subscribers will also announced the launch now have “never-ending of daily and weekly speed Internet access at all times, boosters, as well as the op- enjoying high-speed con- tion to use Data Recharge nection as long as their se- cards to regain a normal

Gulf Times 8 Sunday, March 19, 2017 QATAR

Georgetown faculty conference to explore Indian Ocean world

he cultures, beliefs, anic shores member of Qatar Foundation. politics and citizens will generate Through discussions Tof countries border- wide-ranging on issues such as politi- ing the Indian Ocean will be impacts on cal power, state-building, on the agenda at an upcom- the global globalisation, migration, ing event at Georgetown economic urbanisation and ethnicity, University in Qatar (GU-Q). and politi- Dr Verhoeven the conference aims to fos- The university’s an- cal situation ter a greater understanding nual faculty conference in the 21st century,” said Dr of the states, movements will bring together multi- Harry Verhoeven, assistant and people of the Indian disciplinary scholars from professor at GU-Q and one Ocean world. around the world to discuss of the organisers of the event. In addition to GU-Q fac- this year’s theme, The Lib- “This conference aims to ulty, participants in the event eral State and its Alterna- explore the forms and chal- hail from a diverse mix of tives in the Indian Ocean. lengers to the modern state international and local in- The two-day conference, that exist in the region, in stitutions, including Oxford which will be held from to- order to increase our under- University, University of morrow on GU-Q’s Educa- standing of how these diff er Cambridge, King’s College tion City campus, focuses on from standard ideas of lib- London, Stanford University, Procedures are underway to enlist the new site of the coral reefs at ‘Fasht RasGas’ within the natural protectorates of the Ministry of Municipality and the dynamics of continuity eral governance which have the University of Singapore, Environment (MME). and change in the region. historically been promoted Qatar University and Hamad “The Indian Ocean world by the West,” he added. Bin Khalifa University. presents a mix of cultures, The conference is made The conference is open religions, states and politi- possible by a Conference and to the public and there is no cal systems. It is the fastest Workshop Sponsorship Pro- attendance fee. More infor- growing and most unpre- gramme award (CWSP 11-C- mation can be found at ht- RasGas, MME team up dictable region on earth. 1019-16029) from the Qatar tps://qatar.sfs.georgetown. What happens along the oce- National Research Fund, a edu/LiberalState to protect coral reefs

rocedures are un- grammes with the company. lance and follow-up within its der way to enlist the In 2012, RasGas moved fi rst fi ve years, in addition to P new site of the coral 1,693 natural coral reefs the assessment of industrial reefs at ‘Fasht RasGas’ sites and moved another pillars links on natural coral within the natural pro- collection of 1,100 in 2014 reefs, after moving them to tectorates of the Ministry to other sites to mitigate their new sites. of Municipality and Envi- the adverse consequences In the meantime, RasGas ronment (MME). of marine pipes installa- presents a mid-annual re- The move is part of co- tion processes. port to the department on operation and co-ordination the health of the coral reefs between MME’s Environ- MME’s Environmental in the country, where 3D im- mental Assessment Depart- Assessment Department aging techniques are used to ment and RasGas Limited has maintained two follow up their growth and to fl ourish the marine envi- related programmes health. ronment of the country and with RasGas An independent third achieve the targeted biologi- party consultant prepares cal diversity. The RasGas programme in this report, which is revised The department has this regard included a mid- and audited by an expert in maintained two related pro- yearly programme for surveil- the fi eld.

Various schemes implemented by QRCS.

QRCS mobile clinics treat 2,389 patients in Myanmar

atar Red Crescent other problems. Confi rmed (QRCS) has said it malaria and dengue haemor- Qis going on with its rhagic fever were also found. humanitarian intervention Mobile clinic teams par- in Myanmar, with a series ticipated in the routine im- of health projects for 5,000 munisation programme of families (25,000 people) at a the State Health Department total cost of $485,513. in two villages and one camp, As a transition from relief to because the immunisation development, the programme coverage in these areas is low. involves rehabilitation of To contribute to the pro- health infrastructure, provi- motion of IDP/villager health sion of medical care through access, mobile clinic teams mobile clinics, and capacity also deliver emergency and building for local medics. specialist referral of patients These projects are co-or- in villages/camp to higher dinated with Myanmar Red medical services. Cross Society and the Health Last month, 18 patients Department in Rakhine received referral for emer- State. gency/special care. After be- QRCS’s mobile clinic ing discharged from hospital, teams regularly provide pri- the teams follow up with the mary healthcare for the ben- patients as needed. efi ciaries in 14 villages and QRCS’s offi cials meet reg- one internally displaced per- ularly with the campers and sons’ camp. villagers and inspect the mo- According to the monthly bile clinic team activities and reports, 2,389 patients were services. treated, including 1,905 Another project is the adults and 484 children. training of community The treated cases included health workers and ex- antenatal care, mild diar- change of experience. The rhoea, dysentery, common programmes will adopt the cold, chest infection, skin curriculum used by the State infection, eye infection, Health Department with mi- trauma /injury, asthma, hy- nor adjustments to be in line pertension, diabetes, gas- with the specifi c needs of the tritis, urinary tract, among project.

Gulf Times 10 Sunday, March 19 , 2017 QATAR Nominations open for STEM Top US scholar to address feminism under Islamic law Educator of the Year award istinguished schol- with a critical understanding Islamic perspective. ar and Islamic and of the region’s cultures, his- Quraishi-Landes writes DUS constitutional tories, societies, politics, in- on comparative legal the- ominations are open for leaders Qatar needs to drive its fu- law expert Asifa Quraishi- tellectual contributions and ory and Islamic law, and the fourth annual STEM ture growth and development. But Landes will host a special mediated representations. women in Islamic law. NEducator of the Year award producing outstanding engineers session on women’s em- Some of her recent publi- competition for Qatar’s top teacher starts well before students enrol powerment and rights un- Quraishi-Landes cations include The Shar- in math and science, Texas A&M in our engineering programmes. der Shariah law, at North- currently serves as ia Problem with Shari’a University at Qatar (Tamuq) and It starts when these future engi- western University in Qatar assistant professor of Legislation and What if Maersk Oil Qatar, who sponsor the neers are still in school, and the (NU-Q) on March 22. law at the University of Shari’a Weren’t the Enemy: contest, have announced. STEM Educator of the Year award Quraishi-Landes cur- Wisconsin-Madison Re-Thinking International The award is part of the Dhia: recognises those teachers who are rently serves as assist- Women’s Rights Activism Engineering Leaders programme, preparing young people to enter ant professor of law at the It also addresses global and Islamic Law. a partnership between Texas universities.” University of Wisconsin- issues essential for under- She holds a doctorate A&M at Qatar and Maersk Oil A selection committee will review Madison, where she teaches standing the region, such as from Harvard University Qatar that supports the devel- nomination packets and choose the courses in Islamic law and decolonisation, orientalism Law School and has de- opment of Qatar’s knowledge- winning teacher, who will receive a US constitutional law. and gender or religious re- grees from Columbia Law based economy through outreach cash prize of QR20,000. Her session, “How vivals. School, the University of programmes designed to inspire Full details about the competition not to talk about Muslim Quraishi-Landes will California at Davis and the young people in the country to are available at www.stem.qa Feminism”, is the first of a discuss why the notion of University of California at take up science, technology, en- The 2016 STEM Educator of series of interdisciplinary feminism is so often asso- Berkeley. gineering and math (STEM) in The STEM Educator of the Year award encourages educators to instruct the Year was Hessa al-Shamma- lectures, which are part of ciated with the West, and She is also an affi liate school and university. students in innovative ways. ri, a biology teacher at Roda Bint NU-Q’s newly introduced why this becomes prob- of the Muslim Women’s STEM education in primary, pre- Mohammed Secondary School Middle East Studies mi- lematic, particularly in League and past president paratory and secondary schools Qatar. This initiative encourages national primary, preparatory and for Girls. Previous winners were nor. the perception of Muslim and board member of Kara- is central to these eff orts, and the educators to instruct students in high schools in Qatar. Nominees Wasan Yousif Muhsin al-Ani, a This minor programme women who are working mah: Muslim Women Law- STEM Educator of the Year award innovative ways and represents di- must have been employed by their chemistry teacher at Amna bint at NU-Q provides students for women’s rights from an yers for Human Rights. “recognises outstanding educators rect eff orts to support Qatar’s hu- nominating school for at least one Wahab Secondary School for whose work contributes to excep- man and social development, which full academic year and be currently Girls, who was named the 2015 tional STEM education in Qatar”, will drive the country’s economic employed by the nominating school. Engineering Leaders STEM Edu- according to a press statement. and environmental development Nominations are due by April 1 at cator of the Year, and Faiza Has- The STEM Educator of the Year through engineers and scientists. www.stem.qa san Musa, a chemistry teacher at award commends the commitment Eligible candidates for the award Dr César O Malavé, dean of Al Bayan Educational Complex of teachers and the positive impact are teachers of STEM disciplines Tamuq, said: “Texas A&M at Qa- for Girls, who won the inaugural they are having on young people in in independent, private and inter- tar graduates are the engineering award in 2014.

MEC opens offi ce in Sheehaniyah

he Ministry of Economy and Com- Tmerce (MEC) has opened an offi ce at the municipality building in Al Sheehaniyah as part of its co-operation with the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME). Stones used for fencing off desert areas. The new offi ce will of- fer residents of Al Shee- haniyah services such as requests to issue livestock fodder, applications for the renewal of announce- ment certifi cate, issuance of rations cards for Qataris and the addition of new persons to existing ration cards. The opening of the offi ce is also part of Al Sheehaniyah Municipal- ity’s eff orts to give people easy access to more pub- lic services, according to a press statement. Meanwhile, Al Daayen Municipality has fenced off wild desert areas with- in its jurisdiction using stone walls to ban the en- try of vehicles there and save the plants and grass spread over such areas. Besides, the munici- pality regularly conducts campaigns to maintain the beauty and cleanliness of such areas in its jurisdic- tion and conserve them accordingly.

Qatar-Russian talks on air transport end

QNA Doha

he two-day bilat- eral talks in the Tfield of air trans- port between the State of Qatar and the Russian Federation concluded yesterday. The meeting was co- chaired the Chairman of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority Abdullah bin Nasser Turki al-Subaey and the Deputy Director of Russia’s Department of State Policy in Civil Aviation Sergei Sesku- tov. Civil Aviation Author- ity said in a statement yesterday that the talks dealt with updating the air transport agreement signed between the two countries in 1991. The two parties agreed on most of the terms of the agreement and also agreed to complete the discussion of the re- maining terms and initial it by the end of this year in Doha, the statement added.

Gulf Times 12 Sunday, March 19, 2017 QATAR Barwa Bank QCDC closes workshops names winners of Thara’a savings on career planning scheme prize atar Career Develop- ment Centre (QCDC) has Qwrapped up the most re- arwa Bank has an- winners per draw for the cash cent edition of its Ambassadors nounced the names of prize of QR5,000, as well as Programme, which kicked off Bthe 16th round of draw four winners per draw for the last October to help preparatory winners for Thara’a, its Sha- QR10,000 cash prize. and secondary school students riah-compliant savings ac- Additionally, twice a year, make informed decisions about count, in a ceremony held at there are four winners per their academic and professional the bank’s headquarters. draw for the QR25,000 cash futures. In a statement, the bank prize, two winners per draw The programme aims to raise said Mohamed Khir Arab, for the QR50,000 cash prize, awareness among Qatari youth Hussein Soliman Hussein Ib- and one winner per draw for around professional develop- rahim, Abdulla Demen M M the grand prize of QR1mn, re- ment and equip students with al-Muhannadi, and Moham- warding 102 winners in total the necessary skills to enable ed Sayab Khan Ferozuddin with cash prizes up to QR3mn. them to optimise their career Khan each won a cash prize of Coupled with cash prizes and specialisation plans, pro- QR10,000. and a reward scheme, Thara’a moting a culture of initia- Also, a cash prize worth is a product full of value- tive-taking, creativity and in- QR5,000 was awarded to Ib- added benefi ts and services. novation. The months-long rahim A I Abueidda, Khalil Ib- Thara’a off ers account hold- workshops focus on positive rahim Hendawi, Fesal Ahmed ers access to Barwa Bank’s thinking, communication and M I al-Emadi, Khaled Azaiez, innovative banking chan- life skills, career planning, team Abubakr Mohsin A M al-Atas, nels, with benefi ts including work and event management, Alawi Abdulkadir al-Juneid, unlimited withdrawals and according to a statement. and Babiker Ali. deposits, as well as free fund Shaheen al-Sulaiti, senior op- The draw’s 16th round was transfers across their accounts erations offi cer at QCDC, said: conducted under the super- and through all Barwa Bank “The programme’s vision draws vision of a representative of channels. inspiration from QCDC’s motto, the qualitative license and Barwa Bank off ers an ex- ‘Your Future in Your Hands’. market control department at tensive variety of personal It aims to create a motivating the Ministry of Economy and banking products and invest- and supportive environment Commerce. ments, as well as eight strate- for Qatari youth, empowering Thara’a off ers account hold- gically located branches and them to build up their personal Shaheen al-Sulaiti presents a workshop as part of the Ambassadors Programme. ers the chance to benefi t from a broad network of more than capabilities and competencies. cash rewards up to QR1mn, a 60 ATMs located across Qatar. “The programme is an eff ective Omar Bin Al Khattab Secondary School for Girls, Umm Hakeem on their career plans. “We came “We are very grateful to QCDC fi rst for Islamic banks in Qa- Customers can access their tool that contributes to the pro- Independent School for Boys and Secondary Independent School here to attend a workshop on for supporting us to overcome tar. Based on several criteria, accounts from the conven- motion of youth initiatives and Khalifa Independent Secondary for Girls, Al Leman Secondary how to accomplish our objectives our fears, identify our strengths Thara’a account holders are ience of their offi ce or home embodies a long-term invest- Schools for Boys participated Independent School for Girls, and plan our future. We have and determine the most appro- eligible for a number of peri- through the state-of–the-art ment in young Qatari leadership in this year’s edition of the pro- and Ruqaya Preparatory Inde- learned about the importance of priate academic fi elds that cor- odic draws for cash prizes. online banking, or via the 24/7 that will play an integral role in gramme, which featured various pendent School for Girls also setting personal goals and fol- respond with our personalities,” Thara’a cash rewards are contact centre. paving the way for a prosperous activities at Hamad Bin Khalifa took part in activities that were lowing specifi c steps to achieve al-Sayegh added. distributed on both a monthly Customers may learn about future for our country.” University’s Student Centre in organised at their institutions. those goals,” said Noor Faisal QCDC is a member of Qa- and biannual basis to cus- the many benefi ts of Thara’a A total of 34 students from Education City. The participating students al-Sayegh, a student at Al Bayan tar Foundation for Educa- tomers holding a minimum savings account by visiting Omar Bin Al Khattab Preparato- Additionally, 44 students from praised QCDC for the positive Secondary Independent School tion, Science and Community balance of QR10,000. On a www.barwabank.com or by ry Independent School for Boys, Al Bayan Secondary Independent impact the programme has had for Girls. Development. monthly basis, there are seven calling 800 8555. QICDRC signs accord Over 20 complete fi rst part of with Singaporean fi rm Event Management Degree

n an important step towards for ever stepping foot inside a be available for use in 2018, fol- ore than 20 business the continuous technologi- courtroom.” lowing implementation at the events professionals Ical advancements within the Adopting the CrimsonLogic QICDRC. Mhave completed the fi rst courts, the Qatar International approach will encourage all in- The QICDRC comprises a part of a fi ve-month programme Court and Dispute Resolution volved parties within the courts world-class Civil and Commer- that will see them certifi ed by Centre (QICDRC) has signed to e-fi le documents that will lead cial Court and Regulatory Tribu- the Union of International Fairs an agreement with Singaporean to an overall faster, cost-effi cient nal, each of which specialises in (UFI), a leading global associa- case management solution fi rm and environmentally-friendly the resolution of civil and com- tion of the exhibition industry. CrimsonLogic. approach to litigation. mercial disputes and regulatory The Event Management Degree The event was held in the The specially designed Case appeals, applying international (EMD) training programme comes presence of QICDRC chief ex- Management System (CMS) will best practices. as part of Qatar Tourism Author- ecutive offi cer Faisal al-Sahouti, ity’s (QTA) eff orts to empower lo- Singapore ambassador Jai So- cal exhibitions professionals and han Singh and QFCA chief ex- enhance Qatar’s business events ecutives offi cer Yousuf al-Jaida. competitiveness, and is being de- The state-of-the-art Qatari livered in collaboration with Ex- court is renowned for its tech- hibition, Convention and Event A training session in progress. nological capabilities (includ- Management Company, accord- ing its e-fi ling and virtual court ing to a statement. livered 15 times at diff erent lo- the region’s business events approach towards organising off erings) and impressive fa- Commenting on the training cations in Asia, the Middle East knowledge hub.” and managing exhibitions, and cilities. In line with constantly programme, Ahmed al-Obaidli, and Europe. The training helps Layal Thabit, exhibition de- demonstrates QTA’s commit- striving to off er users an ef- director of exhibitions at QTA, develop essential skills through partment head at Qatar Cham- ment to developing the coun- fi cient judicial process, Crim- said: “Qatar has made great topics such as project and risk ber, noted that her participation try’s business events sector.” sonLogic technology will bring strides in building the state-of- management for exhibitions, in this training programme re- Ammar B Anabtawi, chief various benefi ts to three distinct the-art infrastructure needed sales management, exhibition fl ected Qatar Chamber’s keen- executive offi cer, Final Vision, groups- court users, internal to host large-scale events. This marketing, strategic manage- ness on empowering its people added: “The programme is staff and the judiciary. programme forms part of our ment and sustainability in the to excel at what they do. helping me enhance my sector On the project al-Sahouti eff orts to give members of the exhibition industry. “Qatar Chamber holds nu- expertise and exchange knowl- said, “The QICDRC aims to of- sector the tools they need to at- Al-Obaidli added, “Pro- merous exhibitions locally, re- edge with my peers from the fer the most modern ‘smart’ tract and deliver global business grammes such as the UFI-EMD gionally and internationally, local market and abroad. The court in the world, enhancing its events in Qatar.” off er comprehensive means which makes this training pro- new techniques and method- availability to court users across The fi ve-month programme for linking all aspects of the gramme highly relevant and key ologies I learn will undoubt- the globe, making it possible was launched by UFI in 2007 business together. We are par- to ensuring we are kept abreast edly be carried with me to my to fi le pleadings, receive orders with the aim of raising quality ticularly proud to see partici- of international best practices. business and I look forward to and judgments and attend hear- Al-Sahouti, al-Jaida and Singh among others at the agreement standards in the exhibitions in- pants join us from the region, This training has signifi cantly sharing them with my team.” ings virtually without the need signing ceremony. dustry, and has since been de- reinforcing Qatar’s position as helped me in developing my QTA and stakeholders “have been stepping up eff orts to es- tablish a solid business events sub-sector equipped with up- to-date facilities and smart CRA holds outreach event infrastructure, managed by the most effi cient management systems and supported by the private sector’s active partici- pation”, the statement noted. Qatar’s business events sector boasts of growing events man- agement services, an exhibition capacity of 70,000sqm, includ- ing world-class venues such as Qatar National Convention Centre and Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, an expand- ed transport network, as well as “exceptional accessibility” via Qatar Airways’ reach to 150 destinations worldwide. With more than 150 business events held in Qatar annually, the business events sub-sector ac- counts for a substantial number of Qatar’s visitors. To capitalise on this strength, Qatar’s Na- tional Tourism Sector Strat- egy seeks to triple the number The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has concluded its two-day outreach event to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day at of business events tourists by Villaggio. In a statement, CRA said it created awareness about the rights and responsibilities of telecom consumers in Qatar and encouraged 2030, contributing at least them to use the CRA hotline - 103 - and Arsel mobile app to lodge their complaints against communications service providers. half of the country’s revenue from tourism spending.

Gulf Times 14 Sunday, March 19, 2017 QATAR

HBKU Press hosts academic workshop at Qatar University

he fi rst session of a series their research a wider, global au- of academic workshops dience as QScience is an open ac- Torganised by HBKU Press cess source which means that re- was held recently at Qatar Uni- search published in the journal is Participants at Qatar Genome Programme’s Pilot Phase Research Consortium. versity’s College of Law. more easily accessible and more The workshop, in conjunction likely to be read, cited and shared with the International Review of than sources with a subscription Law (IRL), represented by Dr Jon barrier.” Truby, focused on guidelines for The workshop gave attendees the successful submission of an an inside look at the benefi ts of academic manuscript to Inter- publishing their research with national Review of Law Journal HBKU Press as well as helping to found on HBKU Press’s online, facilitate the promotion and sub- Genome Programme open access academic research mission of one’s research, which platform, QScience.com. the participants found both en- HBKU Press launched its pub- lightening and benefi cial. lishing programme in 2010 as a “This session was really top world-class publishing house, rate as it gave a comprehensive founded on international best and practical overview of the IRL practices, excellence and innova- journal and its importance and launches consortium tion. In addition to their work as how benefi cial it is to get pub- publishers of academic research, lished in it ,” said Dr Hassan al- ore than 90 genomics Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Biomed- researchers from a variety of in- and eff ective outcomes. range of resources and exper- scientifi c journals, conferences Sayed, associate professor of law researchers attended ical Research Institute, Qatar stitutions, Qatar Genome Pro- “One of the key pillars of the tise, as well as avoid duplica- proceeding, as well as trade fi c- at Qatar University. Mthe recent launch of Computing Research Institute, gramme is helping co-ordinate Qatar Genome Programme’s tion or contradiction in re- tion, non-fi ction, young adult, “I especially enjoyed the cre- Qatar Genome Programme’s and Qatar University. the nationwide eff ort to map the strategy is forging research part- search. Also, QGP’s publication and children’s books, HBKU ative way HBKU Press displayed (QGP) Research Consortium at Several of the investigators Qatari genome.” nerships with institutions in strategy assures that different Press is committed to serving the their submissions process for Qatar Foundation headquarters also have international collabo- The investigators will work on Qatar, as well as fostering inter- entities in Qatar get equal op- greater community in which it researchers from the beginning in Education City. rators. exploring the extensive geno- national collaborations,” said Dr portunities to work with the resides through various outreach of the process to the end. The The consortium is the latest Dr Asmaa al-Thani, chair- typic and phenotypic data sets Said Ismail, manager of QGP. data gathered through Qatar programmes. video was very engaging and step in QGP’s precision medicine person of Qatar Genome Pro- produced by Qatar Biobank and “This consortium, which in- Biobank. “The International Review of creative.” implementation eff orts. gramme Committee and vice QGP in an eff ort to identify key volves key stakeholders from So far, Qatar Biobank has Law Journal has been published With workshops scheduled Participants at the launch chair of Qatar Biobank, said features of the Qatari genome. across the research spectrum in collected samples from more with HBKU Press on QScience. throughout the year, HBKU represented several institutions inaugurating the Research Con- This knowledge will contribute Qatar, signifi cantly strengthens than 6,000 volunteers, includ- com since 2012,” said Dr Al- Press plans to continue to sup- in Qatar, including QGP, Qa- sortium is a critical next step to the development of individu- those relationships.” ing more than 5,000 Qataris. waleed Alkhaja, senior editor at port the academic community tar Biobank, Sidra Medical and on the path towards precision alised disease treatment and By consolidating genomic Of that sample group, QGP has HBKU Press. in Qatar by providing them with Research Center, Hamad Medi- medicine. prevention methods, which in research efforts in Qatar, QGP sequenced more than 3,000 ge- “For an author to be published the resources and knowledge to cal Corporation, Weill Cornell “By bringing together so many turn will lead to more effi cient hopes to leverage the widest nomes. in IRL is very benefi cial as it gives achieve their target objectives. Tamuq, QF join hands to give Qataris on-the-job experience

collaboration between Interns are nominated and Texas A&M Univer- interviewed before being hired, A sity at Qatar (Tamuq) and throughout their employ- and Qatar Foundation (QF) is ment are evaluated to help de- giving young Qatari employ- velop their professional skills ees on-the-job experience at based on their target positions. workplace. The trainee programme ben- Tamuq and QF recently efits everyone involved: Young signed a Memorandum of Un- Qataris get an exciting boost to derstanding to establish a na- their careers and Tamuq bene- tional trainee programme in fits from the professional con- which Qatari nationals are em- tributions of Qatari nationals bedded in QF organisations for who are shaping their coun- one year to get first hand, real- try’s future. world experience. Tamuq is currently reviewing Mohamed Abdulaziz al- resumes and is expected to hire Naimi, chief operations of- its second trainee this spring. ficer, Qatar Foundation, said: Texas A&M at Qatar dean Dr French ambassador Eric Chevallier (left) receiving the books from Canadian ambassador Adrian Norfolk “Young people are our greatest César O Malavé said: “Texas (centre) as another off icial looks on. asset, and we are delighted to A&M at Qatar has always been sign this MoU with Texas A&M proud to partner with Qatar University at Qatar. This initi- Foundation to help develop ative helps QF to promote life- Mohamed Abdulaziz al-Naimi, chief operations off icer of Qatar human capacity in Qatar. To- long learning, while providing Foundation, and Texas A&M at Qatar dean Dr César O Malavé shake gether, we are committed to greater professional develop- hands after signing the MoU. building a workforce that Qa- Canadian embassy donates ment opportunities that will tar needs to achieve the goals empower future generations campus in the Office of Devel- (science, technology, engi- set forth by Qatar National Vi- to thrive in a global environ- opment, Engagement and Out- neering and math) outreach sion 2030. We look forward to books to French Institute ment.” reach since summer 2016. She programmes where she serves receiving young Qatari gradu- The programme has already brings her engineering educa- as a positive role model of a ates to intern with us, and we been a success at Tamuq. Wad- tion and academic background successful Qatari engineer for believe such initiatives help in he Canadian embassy in sy said in a statement. media library off ers more than ha al-Thani, a Tamuq graduate, to Texas A&M at Qatar’s Dhia: young girls participating in the developing a generation of in- Doha has donated a se- “This remarkable tradition 5,000 books and magazines, has been working at the branch Engineering Leaders STEM educational programmes. novators and professionals.” Tries of books written by started in 2014 at the very fi rst children’s books, comic books, various Canadian authors to celebrations of Francophonie in numerous DVDs and access to the French Institute of Qatar Qatar,” said Norfolk, citing that a rich cultural library, as well on the occasion of the recent “this Canadian programme of do- as the large digital library of ‘Week of Francophonie’ in the nating books makes it possible to the French Institutes network country. contribute to the radiance of the worldwide. French ambassador Eric Chev- Francophonie all over the world.” In addition, the library has a allier received the books from Grateful for Canada’s contri- wide selection of documentary Canadian ambassador Adrian bution, Chevallier stressed that and educational books essential Norfolk at a ceremony held at the “we must shed the light on the to French learners, particularly for Institute’s media library. fact that in Qatar there are more students of the Institute’s Lan- The donations demonstrate than 200,000 Francophones.” guage Centre where French and Canada’s commitment to the “The Institute off ers them Arabic are off ered for all ages and Francophone and Francophile the richest francophone library levels. community in Qatar, the embas- in the country.” The Institute’s

Offi cial outlines WISE research Participants at the seminar at QU-CAS. r Asmaa Alfadala, direc- sented a preview of her current sons, tactics and strategies that tor of Research at the research on ways to support system leaders can use to build DWorld Innovation Sum- school leaders in any context and principals’ skills,” Dr Alfadala mit for Education (WISE), re- ultimately improve student out- said. Media seminar focuses on future challenges cently presented an overview comes. It focuses on identifying The gathering was hosted by of the organisation’s research appropriate, innovative leader- the University of Oxford’s De- wide range of topics on graduates who eye working in the skills, requirements for employ- dean Dr Rashid al-Kuwari. eff orts in education at a special ship development approaches partment of Education as part the realities and future media industry. ment in media institutions, new The opening ceremony was University of Oxford gathering. and strategies that can be shown of its Oxford Talks series, and Achallenges of the media The seminar also highlighted disciplines that attract the me- also attended by CAS Mass Com- During the talk, she focused to drive sustainable change in was attended by a range of in- industry in the country were the the importance of providing dia sector, and co-operation munication Department head Dr on the role of WISE research in teaching practice with positive ternational academics and re- focus at a recent seminar host- training to graduates to enhance between the department media Mahmoud Galander, professor supporting creative action and impact on student learning. searchers. A representative of ed by the Department of Mass their skills and expertise in line institutions. Mohamed Kirat, a large number building the future of educa- “My research, which will be Qatar’s embassy in the UK also Communication at Qatar Uni- with the ‘national sustainable “This meeting comes in line of media representatives, as well tion through collaboration. Dr released before the WISE 2017 attended. versity’s College of Arts and Sci- development process’ and Qatar with QU’s strategic plan that aims as CAS faculty and students. Alfadala presented the work of Summit in November, includes WISE, a member of Qatar ences (QU-CAS). National Vision 2030. to strengthen co-operation be- Dr Galander thanked the me- WISE to help raise awareness of case studies illustrating current Foundation for Education, Sci- Themed “Qatar Media: Reali- Two sessions focused on the tween the university and industry, dia institutions in Qatar for their education issues internation- approaches that systems and ence and Community Develop- ties and Future Challenges,” the media sector’s view about the which will contribute to develop- co-operation with the depart- ally, and play an active role in schools around the globe take to ment, aims to build the future of event tackled the department’s graduates of the department, ing academic programmes in line ment and for providing faculty transforming education for to- successfully develop and sup- education in Qatar and world- development process and as- impact of hands-on training on with the needs and requirements and students with training op- day’s needs. port their principals. The ulti- wide through local and interna- sessed the qualifi cations of improving the overall students of the labour market,” said CAS portunities. The WISE offi cial also pre- mate goal is to identify key les- tional collaborations. Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 15 REGION/ARAB WORLD

GCC states criticise Syrian rebels and civilians Swiss statement to UN begin leaving Homs district Reuters out of fear of arrest, and around Homs, Syria/Beirut 15,000 people had signed up to QNA evacuate so far, he said. Riyadh “People are going to live in ebels and their families tents, in refugee camps,” the ac- began leaving their last tivist said, adding that he also he Gulf Co-operation Rbastion in the Syrian city planned to leave in the coming Council (GCC) Secretary- of Homs yesterday, state media weeks. TGeneral Dr Abdullatif bin and a Reuters witness said, un- “They are willing to leave Rashid al-Zayani said that the der a Russian-backed deal with their homes, their land, towards GCC member states strongly the government expected to be the unknown.” condemn the contents of the among the largest evacuations Dozens of buses stood at a statement delivered by Switzer- of its kind. crossing in the morning waiting land envoy to the UN Human The agreement underlines to leave Al-Waer, accompanied Rights Council regarding the hu- Syrian President Bashar al-As- by SARC ambulances, a Reuters man rights situation in Bahrain. sad’s upper hand in the war, as witness said. In a statement yesterday, Al more rebel fi ghters opt to leave Police offi cers searched peo- Zayani said that the GCC mem- areas they have defended for ple before the buses drove out, ber states categorically reject years in deals that amount to the Homs police chief told Syr- the allegations contained in the negotiated withdrawals to other ian state television. Swiss statement, which ignore parts of the country. In the coming weeks, evacu- the eff orts of the Bahraini gov- Several buses drove out of ees could be shuttled to other ernment to protect and promote the Al-Waer district in Homs, rebel-held areas in northern human rights. Bahrain is making which was an early centre of the Syria, including the insurgent unremitting and remarkable ef- popular uprising against Assad. stronghold of Idlib province, forts for the protection of human Between 10,000 and 15,000 state TV said. rights in accordance with inter- rebels and civilians would evac- Under the agreement, fi ght- national standards, and in line uate in batches over the coming ers could stay in Al-Waer if they with national laws in force in the weeks under the deal, according hand over their weapons and country, al-Zayani stressed. to opposition activists in Al- settle their aff airs with the gov- He expressed the member Waer and a war monitor. ernment, it said. states’ hope that the Swiss gov- Homs governor Talal Barazi Syrian opposition fighters and their families are searched as they arrive at a checkpoint, manned by regime forces and Red Crescent members, State-owned al-Ikhbariya ernment would review its po- told Reuters that he expect- on the edge of the rebel-held Waer neighbourhood in the central city of Homs yesterday. TV cited the Homs governor as sition in this matter and stop ed 1,500 people, including at saying that 20 buses had left so the repeated accusation against least 400 fi ghters, to depart for six years of confl ict. settlements,” he said. The gov- state television spoke to a Rus- Once completed, it would far and that rebels carried their Bahrain in the United Nations rebel-held areas northeast of But the opposition decries ernment has increasingly tried sian colonel, who said via an mark the biggest evacuation small arms out with them. Council for Human Rights. Aleppo, and that most of Al- them as a tactic of forcibly dis- to press besieged rebel areas to interpreter that security would during the war out of one Syrian The government would start He urged the Swiss govern- Waer’s residents would stay. placing people who oppose As- surrender and accept what it soon return to the district. district, which is home to about returning its services to the dis- ment to source information Along with the Syrian Arab sad after years of bombardment calls reconciliation agreements. “This agreement was reached 40,000 civilians and more than trict with the departure of the on human rights from reli- Red Crescent (SARC), Russian and siege. In an interview with Chinese only under the patronage of the 2,500 fi ghters, the monitoring last batch of rebels, Barazi said. able sources “ not from dubious and Syrian forces were oversee- Barazi said there was com- TV station Phoenix last week, Russian side...and it will be im- group said. Allegations of an evacuation sources which have hidden ing the evacuation, which would munication with other rebel- Assad said deals brokered local- plemented with Russian guar- “It’s because there is zero of Al-Waer’s residents were agendas.” take about six weeks, he added. held areas north of Homs city ly with rebels were “the real po- antees,” he said. trust in Assad’s government. “devoid of truth”, the channel Al-Zayani stressed that such “The preparations and the re- to reach similar deals, including litical solutions”. He added that The Syrian Observatory for That’s why the numbers are quoted Barazi as saying. positions which are rejected by ality on the ground indicate that the towns of Al-Rastan and Tal- he had not expected anything Human Rights, a Britain-based high,” said the head of the Homs Syrian opposition offi cial the member states are not con- things will go well,” Barazi said. biseh. from Geneva, where UN-led war monitor, said the buses Media Centre, run by opposi- Monzer Makhous accused the ducive to the eff orts of the GCC The Syrian government “We are optimistic that the peace talks ended this month would go to the Jarablus area tion activists.”For years, it has government of displacing thou- countries and Switzerland for has described such deals as a full exit of armed (fi ghters) from with no breakthrough. held by Turkey-backed rebels besieged us...and bombed peo- sands from Al-Waer in order to the promotion and development “workable model” that brings this district will pave the way Broadcasting live from the in the northern Aleppo coun- ple’s homes.” make gains both on the ground of bilateral relations. the country closer to peace after for other reconciliations and Al-Waer departure area, Syrian tryside. Many did not want to stay and in the political process. Israeli aircraft, tank hit Iran MP slams Guards Yemen for social media arrests rebels

Gaza after rocket attack AFP days, including the simulta- survive Tehran neous arrests of managers of Telegram channels with close AFP associations to reformists and convoy Jerusalem ranian MPs have criticised supporters of the government, the arrests of journalists which has apparently been Iand social media organis- done by the intelligence arm strike rocket fi red by Palestin- ers ahead of the presidential of the Sepah (Revolutionary ians in the Gaza Strip election in May, with one di- Guards), has raised a wave of Aslammed into southern rectly accusing the elite Revo- concern in society,” Sadeghi AFP Israel yesterday, prompting lutionary Guards in a letter wrote in the letter published Aden retaliatory Israeli air and tank published yesterday. by the ILNA news agency. strikes, sources on both sides The arrests in recent days Several other MPs have also said. are alleged to have targeted criticised the arrests in open wo senior Yemen rebels The Israeli army said the rock- unnamed people who run letters this week. survived a coalition air et hit an open area. “No casual- channels on the popular mes- Outspoken moderate-con- Traid on their convoy in the ties have been reported,” it said. saging site Telegram support- servative MP Ali Motahari southwestern province of Taez “In response, a tank and aircraft ing reformists and the moder- threatened to seek the impeach- yesterday that killed eight of targeted two Hamas positions in ate government of President ment of the intelligence minis- their guards, military and medi- the northern Gaza Strip.” Hassan Rouhani. ter if he did not provide details cal sources said. Palestinian security offi cials Two prominent journal- of the arrests.The Revolutionary said an Israeli aircraft attacked a ists — Ehsan Mazandarani and Guards operate their own intel- Jundi and Hakem military training facility of Gaza’s Morad Saghafi — have also ligence wing independently of were able to escape Hamas rulers, north of Gaza City A smoke plume rises in Gaza City after a reported Israeli air strike yesterday. been detained. the government and answerable and seek shelter and the tank fi re targeted a Ha- Mahmoud Sadeghi, a re- only to supreme leader Ayatol- in a nearby market, mas observation post adjacent planes and tanks pounded Gaza three wars since 2008. odically fi red at Israel, generally formist MP, wrote an open lah Ali Khamenei. a rebel military to Beit Lahiya in the north of the in response to a similar rocket Since the last one in 2014, a by hardline groups opposed to letter to Revolutionary Guards Rouhani, who will seek re- source said territory, close to the border with launch, hitting Hamas military fragile ceasefi re has been ob- Hamas. But Israel holds Hamas commander Mohamed-Ali Ja- election on May 19, has united Israel. facilities and wounding four Pal- served along the largely closed responsible for all rocket fi re fari, calling on the organisa- moderates and reformists with The attack targeted a convoy They also reported no casu- estinians, none of them seriously. border. from Gaza regardless of who car- tion to stay out of politics. his eff orts to improve relations carrying Abdu al-Jundi, who alties. Last month, Israeli war- Israel and Hamas have fought Missiles and rockets are peri- ried it out. “Some incidents in recent with the West. was appointed as the governor of Taez by the Houthi rebels, and the military commander of the same region, Abu Ali al- King Salman ends Hakem, they said. Asia tour, returns The eight guards were killed to Saudi Arabia when two of vehicles in the Hezbollah says UN ‘weak’ after convoy were hit in the raid near the town of Burj. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, who Jundi and Hakem were able was on an off icial tour in Asia, to escape and seek shelter in a has left China to head back to nearby market, a rebel military his kingdom, the state news critical Israel report pulled source said. agency SPA reported yesterday. A medical worker in Burj Saudi Arabia’s monarch, who said the “charred” bodies of has overseen the launch of an Reuters ful member states” had pres- US Ambassador to the Unit- tary general or any other senior the guards were taken to a local ambitious economic reform plan Beirut sured the world body and its ed Nations, Nikki Haley, said UN offi cial that reports to him hospital. since his accession two years chief with “vicious attacks on Friday that Khalaf’s res- would authorise the publica- Most of Taez province is con- ago, was on a month-long tour and threats”. Hezbollah leader ignation was appropriate and tion under the UN name, under trolled by Houthi forces, who of Asia that took him to Malaysia, he leader of the Leba- Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny the UN logo, without consulting are besieging forces allied with Indonesia, Japan and China. The nese Hezbollah move- in a televised speech yesterday Danon said it was “long over- the competent departments and UN-backed President Abd- visits to countries that are some Tment denounced the that the incident served as a due”. even himself,” he said. Rabbu Mansour Hadi holed up of world’s biggest importers United Nations yesterday as reminder of the “truth of this “It is only normal for crimi- Last month, Nasrallah in the provincial capital of the of Saudi oil aim to promote weak after the withdrawal of organisation, that it’s weak... nals to pressure and attack those warned that Hezbollah would same name. investment opportunities in the a report accusing Israel of im- and it succumbs to the will of who advocate the cause of their put up fi erce resistance in any In the western province of kingdom, including the sale of posing an “apartheid regime” the United States and Israel”. An image grab taken from victims,” Khalaf wrote in her future confrontation with Israel Hodeida, coalition aircraft car- a stake in national oil company on Palestinians. The UN is “incapable of tak- Al-Manar TV yesterday shows resignation letter and stood by should the United States give it ried out a series of strikes on a Saudi Aramco. Asia also figures in A senior UN offi cial resigned ing a stand” and the debacle Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the ESCWA report. the green light to attack it inside rebel training camp yesterday, the kingdom’s plans for military on Friday after the secretary over the report proved it can- Lebanon’s movement Hezbollah, UN spokesman Stephane Lebanon, but played down the leaving “dozens of dead and co-operation, with Malaysia and general asked her to remove the not be counted on “to defend giving a televised address from Dujarric said the report was prospects of such a battle. wounded,” a military official Indonesia listed as members of a report, published by the United human rights in our region,” he an undisclosed location. published without consultation Israel fought a destructive said. Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance Nation’s Economic and Social said. with the UN secretariat. month-long war with its Leba- The camp, 70 kilometres formed just over a year ago. Commission for Western Asia ESCWA, which comprises regime that dominates the Pal- “This is not about content, nese foe Hezbollah in 2006, and east of Hodeida city, is home to In China, King Salman oversaw (ESCWA), from the Internet. 18 Arab states, published the estinian people as a whole”. this is about process,” Dujarric has targeted the group including young recruits enlisted by the the signing of deals worth as UN Under-Secretary Gen- report on Wednesday and said The United States, an ally of told reporters in New York on military leaders in several deadly Houthis, who two weeks ago much as $65bn on the first day eral and ESCWA Executive it was the fi rst time a UN body Israel, had said it was outraged Friday. strikes in Syria in recent years forced each district of Hodeida of his visit there on Thursday. Secretary Rima Khalaf said had clearly charged that Israel and demanded the report be “The secretary-general can- but there has been no major di- to send 30 young people there she was leaving after “power- “has established an apartheid withdrawn. not accept that an under-secre- rect confrontation. for conscription. Gulf Times 16 Sunday, March 19, 2017 ARAB WORLD Thousands fl ee Mosul as East Libyan army takes battle edges into Old City rivals’ fi nal Reuters Mosul, Iraq housands of Iraqis surged holdout out of western Mosul Tyesterday during a lull in heavy fi ghting in districts Reuters tion in the northern neigh- around the densely populated Benghazi, Libya bourhoods of Sabri and Souq Old City where Iraqi forces are al-Hout. facing fi erce resistance from Is- LNA leader Khalifa Haftar lamic State militants. ast Libyan forces said launched his Dignity Opera- Five months into the battle to they captured the fi nal tion in Benghazi in May 2014, take Islamic State’s last bastion Eholdout of conserva- saying he wanted to rid the city in Iraq, government forces have tives-led rivals in the south- of Islamist militants following cleared the east and half of west- west of Benghazi yesterday, a series of bombings and as- ern Mosul, and are now focused ending weeks of resistance by sassinations. on controlling the Old City as fi ghters camped in a group of Some of his opponents have well as the strategic Al-Nuri tower blocks. openly acknowledged their al- Mosque. The eastern-based Libyan legiance to Islamic State or Al As fi ghting has entered into National Army (LNA) has been Qaeda-linked groups but oth- the narrow alleyways and dense- waging a campaign in Libya’s ers say they are fi ghting to pre- ly populated parts of the west, second biggest city for near- vent a return to authoritarian more residents are fl eeing liber- ly three years and still faces rule in Libya. ated areas where food and water pockets of resistance in two Haftar has rejected a belea- are scarce, security fragile and northern neighbourhoods, guered UN-backed govern- where homes are often caught in despite making big gains since ment in Tripoli that was meant shelling. early last year. to reunite the country after “We have been trapped for 25 Milad al-Zwai, spokesman it split between eastern and days. No water, no food, every- for the LNA’s special forces, western based governments one will die and they will have to said the siege at the “12 blocks” and military factions in 2014. pull us from the rubble,” said one ended when rival fi ghters tried On Friday, there were resident of Bab Jdid district, not to escape at dawn. demonstrations against mili- giving his name because rela- He said 23 of them had been tia rule in central Tripoli af- tives remained inside Mosul. killed and six arrested while ter unusually violent clashes Families with elderly relatives fi ve LNA troops were killed this week, and some voiced and children marched through Displaced Iraqis fleeing their homes receive food as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State militants, in western Mosul yesterday. and six wounded. support for Haftar before the western Mosul’s muddy streets, Dozens of family members protests were broken up amid past buildings pock-marked by Iraqi forces cut off Mosul from ed Nations fi gures. The last week Federal Police Major General a significant blow to Islamic had also been in the besieged gunfire. bullet and bombs. the remaining territory that Is- has seen the highest level of dis- Haider Dhirgham told report- State, whose leader Abu Bakr buildings and an unknown Haftar, who many suspect Some said they had hardly lamic State controls in Iraq and placement yet, with 32,000 dis- ers at the forward base in- al-Baghdadi used the Al-Nuri number were detained by the of seeking national rule, ad- eaten in weeks, scrambling for Syria. placed between March 12 and 15. side Mosul.”In a few steps and mosque to declare a self-pro- LNA. dressed the capital’s resi- supplies handed out by a local But even in liberated areas, Heavy rains and clouds this strikes we will reach the Nuri claimed caliphate spanning It was not immediately clear dents on local TV after the aid agency. many prefer to leave the city week restricted air cover and mosque.” Iraq and Syria in 2014. whether any of the LNA’s op- protests saying, “your armed “It is terrible, Islamic State amid heavy fi ghting. helicopters, slowing the advance As militants retreat into the US officials have estimated ponents or their families had forces will not abandon you, have destroyed us. There is no Around 255,000 people have of Federal Police and Rapid Re- confined streets of the Old that around 2,000 fighters re- escaped. and we will be by your side food, no bread. There is abso- been displaced from Mosul sponse forces who are consoli- City, Islamic State has been main inside the city. The LNA said it had lost a until Tripoli is returned to lutely nothing,” said another and surrounding areas since dating positions around the Old resisting with snipers, mortars But even after the liberation of MiG-21 fi ghter jet over the the homeland.” resident. October, including more than City and the Al-Nuri Mosque. and the armoured suicide car Mosul, there are risks that mili- Benghazi district of Sabri yes- A group of 22 militias based As many as 600,000 civilians 100,000 since the latest military “The weather is cloudy and bombs that plough into army tants will return to the kind of terday, though the pilot had in Tripoli issued a statement may be caught inside the city campaign in western Mosul be- rainy but our forces are ad- positions. guerrilla warfare and bombings ejected. on Friday reasserting their op- with the militants. gan on Feb 19, according to Unit- vancing toward their targets,” The fall of Mosul would be they have used in the past. It still faces armed opposi- position to the LNA leader. Lebanon rescues Siberian International quartet tiger cubs en route to Syria supports unity govt

AFP signifi cant concerns for their AFP Beirut health and welfare”, the group Cairo said. “It took the combined ef- forts of the ministry of agricul- n animal rights group ture, customs, and a judge to quartet of international in Lebanon is caring for stop this shipment,” said Ani- groups said yesterday it Athree dehydrated, mag- mals Lebanon president Lana Asupported eff orts by Lib- got-infested Siberian tiger cubs el-Khalil. ya’s unity government to assert that were rescued on their way “It is completely unaccept- control over Tripoli after days of to a zoo in neighbouring war- able that these animals have fi ghting with rival militias. ravaged Syria. been trapped for seven days in The Cairo meeting by rep- Animals Lebanon said yes- a cage which is soaked in faeces resentatives of the United Na- terday that its members res- and urine, too small for them to tions, European Union, Arab cued the cubs earlier this week stand, and infested with mag- League and African Union came after they had spent more gots.” AFP obtained a copy of the a day after gunmen opened fi re Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul-Gheit (second right) than a week cooped up inside CITES permit licensing a “pri- at demonstrators protesting talks at a joint press conference on Libya with EU foreign policy chief a cramped crate in “unaccept- vate entrepreneur” in Ukraine against militias in Libya’s capi- Federica Mogherini (second left), African Union special envoy to Libya able” conditions at the Beirut with the export of the cubs to the tal. Jakaya Kikwete (right), and UN envoy to Libya Martin Kobler, at the airport. A handout picture made available yesterday by the NGO “Animals “Samer Alehsenawi Zoo” out- Speaking at a press confer- Arab League headquarters in Cairo yesterday. The cubs fl ew into Lebanon Lebanon” shows Siberian tiger cubs inside a crate at Beirut’s airport side Damascus. ence afterwards, Arab League from Ukraine on March 7 and after they were rescued. The permit says it “is only chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said the Kobler said it would not be day has largely held despite brief were supposed to travel on to a valid if the transport conditions quartet had followed the “dan- time to lift an arms embargo on clashes the same day in the south zoo in neighbouring Syria. covered in maggots and faeces, conventions. In July, Lebanon’s conform to the CITES guide- gerous developments in Tripoli.” Libya until its armed forces had a of the city. Instead, due to apparent squirming in the small crate as Agriculture Ministry issued a lines,” which Animals Lebanon “We agreed on supporting the clear chain of command. Militias have been key power confusion about their travel ar- volunteers from the group work decree to stop the traffi cking of says was not the case. (UN-backed) presidential coun- “If you have an army with a brokers in a country plagued by rangements, they spent a week to crack open the box. big cats — like lions, tigers, and Shaarawi would not specify cil in its eff orts to exert security clear chain of command, report- violence and lawlessness since inside the wooden crate at the The crate is screwed together, pumas — and force zoos to reg- where the cubs were located, but control in the capital, including ing to the supreme command the Nato-backed ouster of long- Beirut airport, said Animals with just small holes for venti- ister formally. said they would remain in the the implementation of the truce of the army and the presidency time dictator Muammar Gadd- Lebanon’s Vice President Mag- lation. Lebanon has also been a NGO’s care until a court decides agreement,” Abul Gheit said. council, they are entitled to ex- afi in 2011. The embattled GNA gie Shaarawi. Its volume is barely a third of member of the Convention on “on whether they are returned to EU foreign policy chief Feder- emptions from the weapons em- has secured the support of sev- “Everything was wrong. a cubic metre (11 cubic feet), ac- International Trade in Endan- the owner”. ica Mogherini, UN envoy Martin bargo,” he said. eral armed groups, but dozens There was no tray in the crate cording to the NGO. gered Species (CITES), which The trade of big cats is big Kobler and African Union Libya The fi ghting in Tripoli lasted of militias continue to operate in for them to urinate. They were When the group heard about regulates the trade of exotic business in Lebanon, where envoy Jakaya Kikwete also at- four days and subsided only af- Tripoli. swimming in their faeces and the shipment, they began pe- animals, since 2013. the animals are often locked in tended the meeting. ter the GNA signed a ceasefi re Abul Gheit said the quartet urine. There was no bowl for titioning the Ministry of Ag- After a week at the airport, cramped cages, forced to per- Friday’s protests followed four agreement with militias from that met in Cairo was “prepared water,” Shaarawi said. riculture to investigate the Judge Hasan Hamdan ordered form in local circuses, and pa- days of clashes between pro- Tripoli and third city Misrata, to support and facilitate any Images published by Animals conditions and apply relevant the cubs to be released to Ani- raded by wealthy individuals as unity government forces and ri- along with local mayors. mechanism for dialogue be- Lebanon show the weak cubs, international and Lebanese mals Lebanon “because of status symbols. val militias. The truce announced Thurs- tween the Libyan parties.” Pope’s Egypt visit off ers chance to improve inter-faith ties

Reuters Islamic authority, Al-Azhar, the lations after Al-Azhar, a Pope Francis has urged an end Vatican City Vatican said in a statement. 1,000-year-old mosque and to what he called a “genocide” Christians, mostly Orthodox university centre, cut contacts against Christians in the Middle Copts, account for about 10% of with the Vatican in 2011 over East. ope Francis will make a Egypt’s population. what it said were repeated in- Looking to set an example for trip to Egypt next month, Sectarian violence sometimes sults towards Islam from Fran- Europe, he has taken in Muslim Pthe Vatican said yester- erupts over disputes on issues cis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict. refugees fl eeing the war in Syria. day, giving the pontiff another related to church building, re- Benedict had denounced what In Cairo, Egyptian President opportunity to promote better ligious conversions and inter- he called “a strategy of violence Sisi issued a statement on the relations between Catholics and faith relationships. that has Christians as a target” Pope’s forthcoming visit. Muslims. Francis has put great em- following a bomb attack outside “Egypt welcomes Pope Fran- Francis has accepted an invi- phasis on improving inter-faith a church in the Egyptian city of cis and looks forward to this tation to Cairo on April 28-29 relations since his election in Alexandria that killed 23 people. signifi cant visit to strengthen from President Abdel Fattah al- 2013, and a year ago he met the A bombing at Cairo’s largest peace, tolerance and inter-faith Sisi, Catholic bishops, the Pope grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Coptic cathedral killed at least 25 dialogue as well as to reject the of the Coptic church of Alexan- Ahmed al-Tayeb in the Vatican. people and wounded 49 in De- abhorrent acts of terrorism and File photo shows Pope Francis holding talks with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb , Egyptian Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque, dria and the country’s highest That meeting unfroze re- cember. extremism,” Sisi said. at the Vatican on May 23, 2016. Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 17 AFRICA

Tanzania to send 500 UN: Congo forces target doctors to Kenya civilians, limiting access Reuters Reuters/AFP hundreds of people and dis- in recent days, and that those The seven-minute video, saying, and then an order is of men says in Lingala, referring Dar es Salaam Kinshasa placed hundreds of thousands found responsible for any hu- which was shared widely on so- shouted: “Advance! Shoot!” to a bloodied young man lying in since last August. man rights violations be held cial media and seen by Reuters, The soldiers begin fi ring, the grass. Militia violence in the Congo, fully accountable,” Sidikou add- shows men in Congolese army without any attempt to fi nd Another uniformed man then anzania will send 500 overnment forces have a tinder box of confl icts over ed. uniforms saying that they are shelter. shoots him in the head. doctors to Kenya to help targeted civilians, in- land, ethnicity and minerals, The statement also criticised participating in an operation Nobody is seen shooting back. Mwanza-Lomba is in Kasai- Tovercome the eff ects of Gcluding women and has been worsened by President Kamuina Nsapu militiamen for against the Kamwina Nsapu mi- The shooting then stops, and Oriental, between Mbuji-Mayi, a strike in public hospitals, the children, resulting in numer- Joseph Kabila’s failure to step attacking state institutions and litia. the video shows the soldiers the capital of the state, and Tanzanian president’s offi ce said ous deaths in central Congo this down when his elected mandate symbols. It was not possible to confi rm amid the bodies littering the Kananga. yesterday. week and are restricting United expired in December. In an interview on Friday, the video’s authenticity inde- ground. The military’s top prosecu- Kenya’s doctors went on strike Nations peacekeepers’ access to The UN mission, MONUSCO, government spokesman Lam- pendently or when it was re- They then shoot at some to tor, Major General Joseph Pon- in public hospitals on December the area, the country’s UN mis- said that it had received “cred- bert Mende denied that the army corded. fi nish them off , starting with a de, told reporters in the capital 5 over pay and working condi- sion said yesterday. ible reports of high numbers of used excessive force and said lo- The footage is fi lmed from woman. Kinshasa yesterday that charges tions. Amid mounting accusa- deaths” this week in Kananga, cal authorities could be block- slightly behind the roughly “Here we are in the village against the seven soldiers in- A deal struck this week opened tions of violence against civil- the capital of Kasai-Central ing access to express frustration dozen men wearing Congolese of Mwanza-Lomba, we came clude the war crimes of murder, the way to negotiations to end ians, Congolese authorities an- province, adding that security with what the government says military uniforms and shows across them today. We have mutilation and cruel, inhuman the strike, but many doctors are nounced yesterday that they had forces have restricted the mis- is the mission’s condescending them advancing on foot towards shown them that power is the and degrading punishment. still not back at work. charged seven soldiers in con- sion’s freedom of movement. attitude. a group of men and women on a law,” the person fi lming says. Ponde added that investiga- The strike means many public nection with a video last month “I call for the immediate ces- The United Nations has re- dirt road, who were singing “Our “There are lots of them but tors plan to exhume two graves hospitals, already stretched for appearing to show army troops sation of violence in Kananga peatedly accused government land, our land” in Tshiluba, a we’ll chase them to infi nity,” he identifi ed near the site of the al- cash and equipment, have had to massacring suspected militia and the Kasai region, and de- troops of using disproportionate language of Kasai-Central. said. leged massacre in order to iden- turn away some patients. members. nounce the use of dispropor- force in clashes with the lightly The men are heard speaking “Look at them, they’re armed tify the victims, and have asked The situation threatened to The Democratic Republic of tionate force,” MONUSCO chief armed Kamuina Nsapu mili- Lingala, the language used by with slingshots, wear red scarves for MONUSCO’s assistance. undermine Kenyan President the Congo’s army is carrying out Maman Sidikou said in the tants. the Congo’s army, and Swahili, around their heads; they have Two UN offi cials, one US citi- Uhuru Kenyatta’s bid for a sec- operations against the Kamuina statement. Last month’s video appeared spoken in the east of the country. grisgris on their belts,” he says, zen and the other of Swedish ond term this August. Nsapu militia. “I further call for an investi- to show soldiers executing sus- “These bastards, they’re com- referring to amulets associated nationality, were kidnapped by Tanzanian President John Clashes between the military gation by the appropriate au- pected militia members at point ing to get killed,” one of the men with voodoo. unknown assailants in Kasai- Magufuli approved Kenya’s re- and the insurgents have killed thorities into events in Kananga blank range. in military uniform can be heard “This one here isn’t dead,” one Central this week. quest for more doctors after he met Kenya’s health minister, Cleopas Mailu, in Dar es Salaam yesterday. “Tanzania has accepted Ken- ya’s request for 500 doctors to Rare protest in Angola as women Ghana leader justifi es help the country deal with a shortage of doctors at its medi- cal centres following a doctors’ having 110 ministers strike,” the statement from march against draft abortion law Magufuli’s offi ce said. “Kenya’s problems are Tan- AFP zania’s problems,” Magufuli was AFP Accra quoted as saying. Luanda Kenya will pay the Tanzanian doctors and provide them hous- hana’s President Nana ing, the statement said. bout 200 demonstrators Akufo-Addo has de- Tanzanian Health Minister protested under heavy Gfended his controversial Ummy Mwalimu said Tanzania Apolice surveillance in the decision to appoint a 110-min- had many qualifi ed, unemployed Angolan capital Luanda yester- ister government, calling it a doctors. day against a draft law criminal- “necessary investment” in the Akufo-Addo: It is a necessary The Kenyan health ministry ising all abortions. small west African country. investment to make. and the Kenyan doctors’ union The proposed new penal code On Wednesday Akufo-Addo were unavailable for comment. has been sharply criticised, in- named 50 deputy ministers and NDC’s John Dramani Mahama On Friday, there were only two cluding by Isabel dos Santos, re- four ministers of state in addi- in December’s election. doctors on duty at the Kenyatta ported to be the richest woman tion to 56 ministers and depu- The new president says that National Hospital, the biggest in Africa and the daughter of ties previously announced. he has inherited an economy public hospital in the country, a veteran President Jose Eduardo The new government – reeling from huge fi scal defi - nurse told a Reuters reporter. dos Santos. which includes dozens of low- cits, rising infl ation and high “We can give you some pain The mostly female protesters er-level and regional ministers unemployment despite an In- relief but it will be a long time chanted “Freedom for women”, – is a record for Ghana and has ternational Monetary Fund before you see a doctor,” she cau- “Prison will not solve anything”, sparked a storm of commen- (IMF) programme designed to tioned a bleeding, screaming car and “Let us decide”, before dis- tary on social media and radio stimulate growth. accident victim as hospital staff persing after about two hours. talk shows. The agriculture ministry inspected a deep cut to her leg. Public protests are rare in An- “I’m aware that people are now has a minister, a minis- gola and can often be targeted by concerned about what they see ter of state and three deputies, Angola’s security forces, but the Angolans hold placards and shout slogans during their protest in Luanda against a draft law that would as maybe the cost of this large while four other ministries also peaceful march was allowed by criminalise abortion. government,” Akufo-Addo ad- have three deputies each and authorities. mitted in an interview on na- their ministers. The draft code, now before who get pregnant after rape will Isabel dos Santos this week be negotiated or trivialised”. tional television on Friday. “It “We’re confronted with an parliament, punishes anyone have the choice of trauma, pris- used her Instagram social media The ruling MPLA party said is a necessary investment to elephant size of government who has an abortion or performs on or possible death after a clan- account to denounce what has on Thursday that a vote in par- make.” and Akufo-Addo has proven one with up to 10 years in jail. destine abortion,” added Siz- been termed the “criminalisa- liament next week had been Akufo-Addo, who was elect- that he’s a politician rather “The government or law- altia Cutaia, of the local Open tion of women”. postponed. ed in December on a prom- than a president,” NDC leader makers have no right to decide Society activism group. Dom Manuel Imbamba, Angola, which had been ruled ise to fi x a host of economic Haruna Iddrisu told Reuters. The healthcare situation has whether we must have a child The draft code was strength- spokesman for the Episcopal by President dos Santos since problems and fi ght corruption, Top government appointees threatened to undermine or not,” Lauranda Gouveia, a ened after lobbying by church Conference of Angola, told AFP 1979, is updating its 1886 penal stressed that his ministers “are receive monthly salaries equiv- Kenyatta’s bid for a second term marcher, told AFP. leaders and has triggered public that it supported the anti-abor- code dating back to the Portu- coming to work, it is not going alent to around $4,000 in ad- this August. “If this law is passed, women debate. tion law, saying that “life cannot guese colonial era. to be a holiday”. dition to at least two cars, free And he insisted that the fuel, a house, free utilities and costs of his new government personal protection, according would not be as high as people to parliamentary sources. might think. “It’s a case of jobs for the “The number, for instance, boys,” politics lecturer Geof- Controversy in Benin over single-term presidency plan among the deputy minis- frey Molu told Reuters. ters – 42 out of 50 are all par- His comment was echoed on By Josué Mehouenou, AFP liamentarians, and in eff ect social media and by callers to Cotonou replace Thomas Boni Yayi. Victor Topanou, who was justice ciety fi gures were appointed to a to remain anonymous, having a converting them from parlia- radio phone-in shows. He also proposed setting up a minister under Boni Yayi, Talon’s special commission to look into single mandate makes “taking mentarians into ministers, the Ghana exports gold, cocoa court of auditors and revamping predecessor. changes to the constitution, and risks for development” an abso- marginal cost of that transfor- and oil and had one of Africa’s any Africans have be- political party funding. Revising the constitution is they delivered a 60-page report lute necessity. mation is minimal in terms of most dynamic economies, come accustomed to But a lack of clarity over the just to “satisfy your ego, to prove last June. “Once someone is elected, the public exchequer,” he said. but growth slowed sharply in Mtheir leaders trying to one-term presidency plan has you’ve succeeded here where Talon had promised a refer- he starts the campaign for re- The ministers are needed 2014 due to a fi scal crisis and cling to power at all costs, but in stoked some controversy, and other regimes have failed”, added endum on the changes, but he election and that becomes a fer- for the “rapid transformation a slump in global commodities tiny Benin, the president appears after months of waiting it is only Topanou, who is now a law lec- now appears to be backtracking tile ground for complacency and of this country”, Akufo-Addo prices. to be trying to do the exact op- now that parliament is getting to turer. on that promise by instead tak- corruption,” he added, saying the said. Government spokesman posite. study the proposals. The president himself has ing it to parliament, where he has single term would probably be George Lawson, deputy gen- Nana Akomea said the criti- President Patrice Talon, a For some, the plan indicates stated he recognises that “touch- strong support. capped at six years. eral secretary of the opposition cism would cease if the govern- former businessman dubbed the that Talon wants to be consid- ing the constitution is the subject The west African nation, But opponents fear that hold- National Democratic Congress ment delivers on its ambitious “cotton king” of Cotonou, has ered a modern head of state. of a lot of anxiety and worry” but which is dwarfed by its giant ing offi ce for a single term could (NDC), told AFP that the in- agenda. put forward a proposal to limit Opponents, however, have that “technical modifi cations” neighbour to the east, Nigeria, have the opposite eff ect if a pres- crease in the number of min- “For ministerial numbers to the head of state to a single term condemned what they say is a are needed to develop democ- is often cited as an example of ident does not have to court the isters was “not proper” and cross beyond the nineties into of offi ce. stifl ing of public debate on the racy. regular, democratic transfers of favour of voters at the end of his charged that Akufo-Addo was the hundreds will surely alarm Reform of the “political mod- issue and questioned Talon’s Exactly what that might entail, power. term. giving out “jobs for the boys”. and disappoint Ghanaians ... el” was a central part of his elec- motivations. though, is causing widespread But the idea of a single presi- “The logic of a single mandate “It’s a drain on the Ghanaian but Akufo-Addo believes he tion campaign last year, which “It’s too easy to argue a revi- concern, with details of the pro- dential term has divided the po- is that the president is answer- economy,” he added. needs these numbers of ap- saw him beat then-prime min- sion is necessary because the posal not yet made public. litical class. able to no one,” said opposition Akufo-Addo came to power pointees to deliver,” Akomea ister Lionel Zinsou in the race to constitution is 27 years old,” said Several political and civil so- For one lawmaker, who asked lawmaker Hugues Agonkan. in January after beating the said on Facebook.

Three years after Ebola outbreak declared in Guinea, survivors still suff er: charity

By Kieran Guilbert, Reuters Guinea survived the deadly vi- aff ord healthcare, said Ivonne tween 2013 and 2016 as it swept questions about whether it can which could worsen psychologi- from childbirth of a woman Dakar rus – around a third of whom Loua, a doctor who runs ALI- through the West African nations ever be beaten, with West Af- cal problems. named Time magazine “Person are estimated to suff er from de- MA’s survivor care programme in of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Li- rica’s 17,000 survivors acting as a “They are traumatised by what of the Year” in 2014 for her work pression, and four in 10 from Guinea. beria. potential human reservoir. they experienced and overcame,” fi ghting Ebola after reports that hree years after the world’s post-traumatic stress disorder, “It is important that survivors While the outbreak came un- While experts say the risk of said Davin Mpaka, a neuropsy- health staff were afraid to treat worst recorded Ebola out- according to The Alliance for and their families have access to der control last year, many survi- Ebola being transmitted from chiatrist with ALIMA. her. Tbreak was fi rst declared International Medical Action quality care, because many are vors have been shunned by their survivors to others is low, suspi- “Many feel like they have The death of Salomé Karwah in Guinea, hundreds of survi- (ALIMA). unable to work and cannot aff ord families, communities, and even cion lingers. nothing else to gain from life, but – whose sister said medics re- vors who suff er from physical Most suff er physical problems, to pay their own care,” she said in medical workers. Almost half of the survivors they have no one to talk to about fused to touch her because she and mental health problems are including joint pain, headaches a statement. The virus can lie dormant and that ALIMA has provided care it,” he added. contracted the virus in 2014 – struggling to access care, a medi- and chronic fatigue, health ex- The Ebola epidemic killed hide in parts of the body such as to in Guinea’s southeastern town Authorities in neighbour- has raised fears that stigma sur- cal charity said on Friday. perts say. more than 11,300 people and in- the eyes and testicles long after of N’Zérékoré complained that ing Liberia said this month that rounding Ebola could lead to pre- More than 1,100 people in Yet many survivors cannot fected some 28,600 others be- leaving the bloodstream – raising they still experienced stigma, they were investigating the death ventable deaths of survivors. Gulf Times 18 Sunday, March 19, 2017 AMERICAS

Man arrested for strobe-light tweet Immigration judges to that caused reporter’s seizure

AFP speed up deportations Washington Reuters that involve undocumented immi- ness of shuffl ing immigration judges Washinton grants facing or convicted of crimi- from one court to another, noting Maryland man has been arrested on federal nal charges, according to data pro- that this will mean cases the judges charges that he intentionally used an ani- vided by the Justice Department’s would have handled in their usual Amated tweet to trigger an epileptic seizure he US Justice Department is Executive Offi ce of Immigration courts will have to be rescheduled. in a Newsweek reporter who had been critical of developing plans to tempo- Review. He said that when he was tem- President Donald Trump. Trarily reassign immigration More than 200 of those cases in- porarily reassigned to handle cases The reporter, Kurt Eichenwald, was at his home judges from around the country to volve immigrants currently incar- on the southern border in 2014 and offi ce in Dallas on December 15 when he clicked 12 cities to speed up deportations cerated, meaning that the others 2015, cases he was slated to hear in on a Twitter message sent him by a man using the of illegal immigrants who have been have either not been convicted or his home court in Arlington, Vir- pseudonym “@jew_goldstein.” charged with crimes, according to have served their sentence. ginia had to be postponed, often for A blinding strobe light began fl ashing on his two administration offi cials. The Justice Department did not more than a year. screen, sending Eichenwald — who has openly dis- How many judges will be reas- provide a breakdown of how many “That’s what you call aimless cussed his epilepsy — into a seizure. signed and when they will be sent is of the remainder have been convict- docket reshuffl ing,” he said. His wife found him on the fl oor. still under review, according to the ed and how many are awaiting trial. Under the Obama administration, The Justice Department said Friday that it had offi cials, but the Justice Department As part of the Trump adminis- to avoid the expense and disruption arrested John R Rivello, 29, of Salisbury, Maryland, has begun soliciting volunteers for tration crackdown on illegal im- of immigration judges travelling, on a criminal complaint from Texas charging him deployment. migrants, the Justice Department is they would often hear proceedings with cyberstalking with the intent to kill or cause The targeted cities are New York, also sending immigration judges to from other courthouses via video bodily harm. Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, A man deported from the US seven months ago receives candy from detention centres along the south- conference. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in pris- San Francisco, Baltimore, Bloom- his nephew across a fence separating Mexico and the United States as west border. The judges’ reshuffl ing could fur- on. ington in Minnesota, El Paso, Har- photographed from Tijuana, Mexico. Those temporary redeployments ther logjam a national immigration An affi davit fi led with the complaint said that a lingen, Imperial in California, will begin tomorrow. court system which has more than search of Rivello’s Twitter account showed he had Omaha, Nebraska and Phoenix in in line with a vow made frequently by are regarded as priorities for de- Former immigration judge and 540,000 pending cases. sent other messages about Eichenwald saying “I Arizona. President Donald Trump on the cam- portation whether they have been chairman of the Board of Immigra- The cities slated to receive more know he has epilepsy” and “I hope this sends him They were chosen because they paign trail last year to deport more il- found guilty or not. tion Appeals Paul Schmidt said the judges have diff erent kinds of immi- into a seizure.” are cities which have high popu- legal immigrants involved in crime. That is a departure from former Trump administration should not grant populations. The authorities also found an altered Wikipedia lations of illegal immigrants with The Department of Homeland president Barack Obama’s policy, assume that all those charged with Imperial in California, for exam- page in Rivello’s iCloud account that showed a fake criminal charges, the offi cials said. Security asked for the judges’ re- which prioritized deportations only crimes would not be allowed to stay ple, is in one of the nation’s largest obituary for Eichenwald with a death date of De- A spokeswoman for the Jus- shuffl e, an unusual move given that of those convicted of serious crimes. in the United States legally. agriculture hubs, attracting large cember 16. tice Department’s Executive Of- immigration courts are adminis- The policy shift has been criti- “It seems they have an assump- numbers of immigrant farm workers Eichenwald’s lawyer Steven Lieberman said the fi ce of Immigration Review, which tered by the Department of Justice. cised by advocate groups who say tion that everyone who has com- from Mexico and Central America. use of a strobe light against a known epileptic was administers immigration courts, A Homeland Security spokes- it unfairly targets immigrants who mitted a crime should be removable, Bloomington, Minnesota, near St “no diff erent than a bomb sent in the mail or an- confi rmed that the cities have been woman declined to comment on any might ultimately be acquitted and but that’s not necessarily true. Even Paul, is home to a large number of thrax sent in an envelope,” according to The New identifi ed as likely recipients of re- plan that has not yet been fi nalized. do not pose a threat. people who have committed serious African immigrants, many of whom York Times, where Eichenwald spent years as an assigned immigration judges, but Under an executive order signed The cities slated to receive more crimes can sometimes get asylum,” travelled from war-torn countries investigative reporter. did not elaborate on the planning. by Trump in January, illegal immi- judges have more than half of the Schmidt said. like Somalia to claim asylum in the That made the incident diff erent from other cy- The plan to intensify deportations is grants with pending criminal cases 18,013 pending immigration cases He also questioned the eff ective- United States. berstalking cases, where the intent is to cause psy- chological — not explicitly physical — harm. Eichenwald, 55, has some 319,000 Twitter fol- lowers. He had been critical of Trump throughout the presidential campaign last year. Daugaard vetoes Idaho boy injured by ‘cyanide bomb’ When his wife found him on the fl oor on De- cember 15, she fi rst called 911, and then alerted the authorities to the message from “@jew_goldstein.” change to concealed By Laura Zuckerman, Reuters who was writhing in pain on the ground Thursday’s incident marked the fi rst Eichenwald was incapacitated for days, lost Salmon, Idaho before he died right in front of Canyon,” “unintentional lethal take of a dog” feeling in one hand, and had trouble speaking for she said. by an M-44 in Idaho since 2014, and weeks, his lawyer told The Times. gun carriage laws Her husband, Pocatello physician Wildlife Services seeks to minimise Since the attack, Eichenwald said, 40 more ac- “cyanide bomb” planted by US Mark Mansfi eld, rushed to the scene hazards to pets and humans by posting counts have sent him strobe lights. predator-control agents target- and pounded on the dog’s chest in a fu- warnings, spokesman Andre Bell said. He has passed their information to the FBI. Reuters Aing coyotes near homes and hik- tile eff ort to revive the animal. “These devices are only set at the Seattle ing trails in Idaho exploded when a boy The family and fi rst-responders un- request of and with permission from handled the device, injuring him and derwent decontamination procedures property owners or managers,” the killing his dog, authorities and relatives and the boy, who was sprayed in the agency said. outh Dakota’s Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard on said on Friday. face, was tested for cyanide poisoning They are “spring-activated” and Friday vetoed a pair of bills that would have loosened re- Canyon Mansfi eld, 14, was play- at a hospital for the second time Friday, “not explosive devices,” it said. Pilot killed as Sstrictions on carrying concealed guns in the state, after ing with his yellow Labrador retriever, offi cials and family members said. Bannock County Sheriff Lorin saying current laws made sense and were adequate. Casey, on Thursday afternoon near his The device, called an M-44, was Nielsen, who described the devices as One measure would have allowed carrying concealed weap- home east of Pocatello when he saw among several placed in the area by “cyanide bombs,” said no notice was planes collide ons in the state without a permit. what he thought was a sprinkler head Wildlife Services, an arm of the US De- given to authorities about their place- The second proposed allowing carriers of an enhanced per- on the ground and touched the device, partment of Agriculture that targets ment. mit to carry concealed weapons at the state capitol. causing it to detonate. coyotes, wolves, cougars, foxes and “I’ve been a sheriff here for 20 years over Canada South Dakota bars convicted felons and those convicted of The explosion sprayed the boy and other animals considered nuisances to and worked for the offi ce for 39 years, some violent or drug crimes from obtaining a concealed weap- his 3-year-old, 40kg pet with toxic farms and ranches. and I’ve never heard of leaving around ons permit. cyanide gas, according to the boy’s The agency has been sued by conserva- a device that emits poisonous gas,” he shopping mall Eleven US states allow gun owners to carry concealed weap- mother, Theresa Mansfi eld. tion groups claiming that its programmes said. ons without a permit, according to the Law Center to Prevent “Canyon said there was a bang like a to poison, trap and shoot various predator Nielsen said he intended to meet Gun Violence, a gun-control advocacy group. bomb, then an explosion of an orange species violate federal environmental and federal offi cials next week to “get to the AFP Another 39, including South Dakota, allow concealed carry substance that covered him and Casey, wildlife protection laws. bottom of this.” Montreal with a permit. In a letter accompanying one of the vetoes, Daugaard, who had previously pointed to his own membership in the Nation- wo small planes collided mid-air over a busy al Rifl e Association, defended the state’s existing concealed Canadian shopping mall on Friday, killing weapons laws as reasonable. Damaged blooms! Tone pilot and injuring the other but miracu- “I am unaware of a single instance in which a person who lously avoiding numerous casualties, police said. could lawfully possess a gun was denied a permit to carry a One of the planes crashed into the roof of the concealed pistol,” Daugaard wrote. Promenades Saint-Bruno mall — about 20km east By comparison, he added, two counties in the state have of Montreal — while the other fell into the parking turned down nearly 600 permit applicants “who were dis- lot, 20m from one of the main entrances. qualifi ed due to mental illness or due to violent or drug-related One of the pilots was killed and the other was crimes.” seriously injured, said police spokeswoman Nancy The veto echoed statements Daugaard made in a February 11 Colagiacomo. editorial in the Rapid City Journal, in which he said he viewed The two planes were Cessna 152 aircraft belong- the state’s laws as “eff ective, appropriate and minimal.” ing to the nearby Cargair fl ight school, said Cana- Daugaard also vetoed a similar proposal loosening con- da’s transport safety authority, which has opened cealed-carry standards in 2012. an investigation. Rep Lee Qualm, who sponsored the proposal relaxing the The cause of the accident, which happened in state capitol restrictions, called the vetoes “frustrating,” and sunny, still skies over one of the largest malls in the said in a phone interview on Friday that he would try to over- area, was not yet known. ride them when the legislature returns from recess March 27. In an extract of conversations between the con- An override requires a two-thirds majority in South Dakota, trol tower and the pilots, obtained by the TVA net- and Qualm said both bills were only a handful of votes short of work, the controller asks one of them to turn left that threshold in both chambers. “to avoid traffi c.” Rep Lynne Disanto, sponsor of the broader of the two bills, “Are you listening?” repeats the controller to the did not respond to calls or e-mails seeking comment. pilot, telling him he is only 800m from the other The bills’ failure at the hands of a Republican governor plane. pointed to a divide in his party over the regulations. The two planes were heading for Saint-Hubert Neither bill received full Republican support in either cham- Damaged cherry blossom trees begin to bloom around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, following unseasonably cold airport — where the Cargair fl ight school is also ber, and the statewide measure was opposed by about one in weather that damaged many of the famed blossoms that bloom at the start of spring. based — less than 400m as the crow fl ies from the fi ve Republicans in the House and one in three in the Senate. shopping centre.

More victims step forward in scandal he number of victims who Arkansas splits MLK, Robert E Lee holiday have come forward to inves- Ttigators looking into a grow- ing scandal involving some Marines Reuters memory of the African-American lead- the state House of Representatives on publican Donald Trump over Democrat separating the two observances. An at- sharing nude photos of women on- Little Rock, Arkansas er’s nonviolent quest for racial equality. Friday, with bipartisan support from Hillary Clinton in the presidential race. tempt to do so in 2015 sputtered amid line has doubled to more than 20, Opponents of the bill denounced it 66 members, while 34 Republicans The King birthday holiday will con- protests from Confederate history en- an offi cial from the Naval Criminal as disrespectful of the state’s Civil War opposed the bill, abstained or voted tinue to be observed on the third Mon- thusiasts and cultural conservatives. Investigative Service said on Friday. rkansas lawmakers on Friday heritage. “present.” The Senate voted over- day of January in Arkansas. The legis- In an apparent attempt to defuse op- The Marine Corps has been rat- gave fi nal approval to a bill set- Governor Asa Hutchinson, a Repub- whelmingly in favour of the bill last lation approved Friday stipulates that position, lawmakers included language tled by a scandal involving a private Ating aside an offi cial state holi- lican who had lobbied both chambers week. the second Saturday in October will be in the bill specifying that Arkansas Facebook group called “Marines day solely for slain civil rights leader of the Republican-dominated General “We are taking Robert E Lee and recognised as a “memorial day” for Lee public schools instruct pupils in “ci- United” and its surreptitious distri- Martin Luther King Jr and relegating Assembly on behalf of the measure, putting him in the basement and acting but will not count as an offi cial state vilian and military leadership” during bution of explicit images of women Confederate General Robert E Lee to a praised lawmakers for its passage. like we’re embarrassed,” said state Rep- holiday. the Civil War as well as the civil rights in the armed forces — often with separate, lesser observance. “This bill was one of my priorities,” resentative Jana Della Rosa. King, who was assassinated in 1968, movement. obscene, misogynist commentary. Supporters of the legislation argued Hutchinson said. “The support for a “If we learned anything in the last and Lee, the commander of the Con- Arkansas’s original Lee holiday was NCIS has opened an inquiry into that celebrating a war hero of the pro- separate holiday to recognise Martin election, people in Arkansas don’t care federate Army of Northern Virginia, are enacted in 1947, and the King designa- the matter, and senior lawmakers slavery Confederacy on the same day as Luther King far exceeded my expecta- about political correctness. Look who still honoured jointly in Mississippi and tion in 1983. on Capitol Hill have denounced King’s birthday, as has been done for a tions.” we just elected president.” Arkansans Alabama. Two years later the two holidays were the actions. quarter century, was an aff ront to the The measure gained fi nal passage in voted overwhelmingly last year for Re- Hutchinson has long advocated combined. Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 19 AMERICA

DNA links Tensions show as Trump, suspect to 2 shootings

Reuters Merkel meet for fi rst time Chicago

AFP Justice Dept delivers man charged in the shooting of two Washington documents on wiretap Detroit police offi cers last week has claim to Congress Abeen linked through DNA evidence to the fatal shooting of a university police tark diff erences between Presi- The US Justice Department on Friday offi cer last year, authorities said. dent Donald Trump and Ger- said it delivered documents to con- Raymond Durham, 60, who was charged Sman Chancellor Angela Merkel gressional committees responding in shootings of two Detroit offi cers on on everything from trade to immigra- to their request for information that Wednesday, is now the “prime suspect” tion were in full view during an icy could shed light on President Donald in the November shooting death of Wayne fi rst meeting at the White House on Trump’s claims that former president State University Police Sergeant Collin Friday. Barack Obama ordered US agencies Rose, Detroit Police Chief James Craig told In a frequently awkward joint to spy on him. the media on Friday. press conference, Trump and Merkel The information was sent to the Craig declined to provide details on the showed little common ground as they House and Senate intelligence and DNA evidence that links Durham to Rose’s addressed a host of thorny issues in- judiciary committees, said Sarah death, citing the ongoing investigation. cluding Nato, defence spending and Isgur Flores, a Justice Department Durham was charged by the Wayne free trade deals. spokeswoman. County Prosecutor on Friday in connection For most of the 30 minutes in the The chairman of the House Intel- with the shootings of the two Detroit offi c- East Room, Merkel was stony-faced ligence Committee, Republican Devin ers, the Detroit Free Press reported. as Trump ripped into Washington’s Nunes, said in a statement late on He was arraigned while in hospital, where Nato allies for not paying for their Friday that the Justice Department he is receiving treatment after being shot in “fair share” for transatlantic defence had “fully complied” with the panel’s the leg during a shoot-out with offi cers. One and demanded “fair and reciprocal request. offi cer was shot once in the ankle and twice trade” deals. A government source, who in the upper torso, but was wearing protec- The veteran German chancellor requested anonymity when discuss- tive body armour that likely saved his life. had arrived at a snowy White House US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a joint press conference in the East Room of ing sensitive information, said an The other offi cer was shot in the neck, hoping to reverse a chill in relations the White House in Washington, DC, on Friday. initial examination of the material police said. They are both recovering in after Trump’s incendiary election turned over by the Justice Depart- hospital, the Detroit Free Press reported. rhetoric. In a similar vein, Merkel has sought this past administration, at least we tions that underpin the world order. ment indicates that it contains no The visit began cordially, with the to remind — some in the White House have something in common perhaps,” Trump on Friday pledged to “re- evidence to confirm Trump’s claims pair shaking hands at the entrance of would say lecture — the real estate he said. spect historic institutions” but Ban- that the Obama administration had Secret Service: laptop the White House. mogul about democratic values. Merkel appeared not to fi nd the hu- non, also in the East Room, gave a wiretapped him or the Trump Tower But later, sitting side-by-side in Comments like that have prompt- mour in what had been a major politi- chuckle as Merkel was asked whether in New York. stolen from agent’s car the Oval Offi ce, Merkel’s suggestion ed some of Trump’s fi ercest critics cal scandal. she believed Trump had lied and The House Intelligence Committee of another handshake went unheard to declare Merkel the new “leader of And neither side tried to make treated the European Union disre- will hold a hearing tomorrow on al- he US Secret Service said on Friday a or ignored by Trump — an awkward the free world” — a moniker normally small talk about Trump’s own back- spectfully. legations of Russian meddling in the laptop was stolen from an agent’s car moment in what are usually highly taken up by the occupant of the White ground. Trump insisted he was not isola- US election. Tin New York City but that such agen- scripted occasions. House. His family hails from Kallstadt, a tionist, saying: “I’m a free trader but Federal Bureau of Investigation cy-issued computers contain multiple layers There was never going to be an easy During the press conference, Mer- tidy village nestled in southwest Ger- also a fair trader.” Director James Comey and National of security and are not permitted to contain rapport between the cautious Ger- kel said “it’s much, much better to many’s lush wine country. His grand- Merkel rejected Trump’s sugges- Security Agency Director Mike Rogers classifi ed information. The agency said in a man chancellor and impulsive US talk to one another and not about one parents left for America more than a tion that individual European coun- will testify and are expected to field statement that it was withholding additional president. another, and I think our conversation century ago fl eeing poverty and later, tries should negotiate free trade deals questions on Trump’s wiretap claim. comment while an investigation continues. For years, Merkel — a trained phys- proved this.” after a brief return, trouble with the with the United States, rather than Leaders of both the House and ABC News, citing law enforcement icist — had been president Barack But even the lighter moments were law. under existing EU-US negotiations. Senate intelligence committees, sources, said the laptop contained fl oor Obama’s closest international part- tinged with tension. Although Trump has tempered his “I hope we can come back to the including from Trump’s Republican plans for Trump Tower, details on the crim- ner, with the two sharing a strong Amid a furore over Trump’s un- criticism of Nato and the personal table and talk about the agreement” Party, have said they have found no inal investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of rapport and a similar deliberative ap- founded allegations that he was wire- attacks against European leaders, of- between the EU and US, she said. evidence to substantiate Trump’s a private email server and other national se- proach. tapped by Obama, the new president fi cials still fret that Trump has too Trump departed Washington later claims that Obama ordered US curity information. Before coming to offi ce in Janu- cracked a joke referring to past rev- closely embraced the nationalist ide- Friday, arriving in Florida where he agencies to spy on Trump or his The New York Daily News, citing police ary, Trump had set the tone by call- elations that Merkel’s phone had also ology of key advisor Steve Bannon. will spend the weekend at his Mar- entourage. sources, said authorities had been searching ing Merkel’s acceptance of refugees a been bugged by his Democratic pred- Bannon has championed trade pro- a-Lago estate, accompanied by his The White House has publicly of- for the laptop since it was stolen on Thurs- “catastrophic mistake” and suggest- ecessor. tectionism and opposed the European youngest son Barron, wife Melania fered no proof of the allegation. day morning from the agent’s vehicle in the ed she was “ruining Germany.” “As far as wiretapping, I guess, by Union and other multilateral institu- and the fi rst lady’s parents. New York City borough of Brooklyn.

Happy times! S Carolina jury will get to see video of ex-cop shooting fl eeing motorist

Reuters ry, misleading and an incomplete and they don’t get to try yours,” Charleston record of the event. Norton told defence lawyers. The video of a struggle between Slager also is charged with us- the offi cer and Scott, 50, for con- ing a gun while committing the ell phone video of a white trol of Slager’s Taser was brief civil rights off ence and obstruct- South Carolina police of- and shaky, defence lawyer Donald ing justice by intentionally mis- Cfi cer shooting an unarmed McCune said. leading state investigators after black man in the back will be al- That scuffl e was a key focus of the shooting. lowed as evidence at the former Slager’s defence during his trial He is scheduled to be re-tried patrolman’s upcoming federal on a murder charge in state court on the murder charge in August. trial, a judge ruled at a hearing on last fall, with his lawyers arguing Defense lawyer Andy Savage Friday. he had feared for his life. has argued prosecutors bowed to Michael Slager, 35, could be The trial ended with a hung political pressure when they opt- sentenced to life in prison if jury. ed to charge Slager amid concerns found guilty of violating motorist Assistant US Attorney Jared about the use of force against mi- Walter Scott’s civil rights in the Fishman said on Friday the video norities by police in cities across April 2015 fatal shooting in North off ered objective proof of Slager the United States. Charleston. shooting an unarmed person who Prosecutors said the admin- Slager’s federal trial is set for was running away. istration of President Donald May in Charleston. “You don’t exclude evidence Trump supports the federal case Slager fi red eight times at because it’s not complete,” Fish- against Slager, who was indicted Scott’s back, hitting him fi ve man said. during the administration of times, after the motorist fl ed a US District Judge David Norton former president Barack Obama. traffi c stop for a broken brake said prosecutors could play the “Mr Savage knows that two ad- light. video and show it in slow motion ministrations fully support this Defence lawyers had argued in at the trial, despite defence ob- prosecution,” Assistant US At- court that jurors should not be al- jections about creating an unfair torney Eric Klumb said. “Political TV characters from the ‘Smurfs’ mark International Day of Happiness at the UN Headquarters in New York City yesterday. lowed to view a witness’ video of perception of Slager. consideration was not a part of the incident because it was blur- “You don’t get to try their case, those decisions.” ‘Travel ban bands’ take the centre stage in Texas capital

By Jon Herskovitz, Reuters for securing a place of safety said its executive orders are com- down parts of the Trump travel Austin, Texas for Americans. I feel it is short- mon sense approaches that will ban on the day it was set to go sighted and perpetuates the protect the American people. into eff ect. xenophobia that exists in this Attention from the bans has The acts included people ands with diaspora from country,” said Bassel Almadani, opened the door for Almadani Kayem, a Libyan-American from the seven Muslim-major- frontman and vocalist for the to play in places like churches in Chicago and the sister group Bity countries on US Presi- soul and funk band of Bassel & Kansas where congregants want Faarrow, born in Mogadishu, So- dent Donald Trump’s original The Supernaturals. to learn more. malia and relocated to Canada travel ban took to the stage in Almadani, raised in the US “For a good fi ve years there, I from a refugee camp. Austin to build resistance against Midwest from parents born in thought I was pulling teeth to get London-based, Iranian born executive orders critics see as Syria, has relatives who have giv- that conversation moving,” Al- artist Ash Koosha would not perpetuating bigotry. en up hope on leaving the coun- madani said in an interview. attend after trouble securing a For many musicians in the try ripped apart by a civil war due “It wasn’t until the immigra- visa. “ContraBanned” showcase that to Trump’s proposed bans. tion ban went into place that South Sudanese-Canadian went from Friday night to early He has been trying to use his people became more intent on artist Emmanuel Jal said the yesterday at the South by South- act to raise awareness about the the issue and more supportive of showcase dubbed “music of the west music festival, the show put six-year civil war that has set the cause.” banned nations” could change a human face on the countries new standards of savagery in its Before the so-called “travel hearts and minds. that have become a focal point of impact on civilians, leaving an ban bands” took the stage in “The people who voted for current US politics. estimated half a million people Texas, the US government said Trump voted out of fear. Let us Somali-Canadian sister group Faarrow are introduced at the ContraBanned event, featuring artists “I understand the travel ban dead. it would appeal against a fed- fi ght with love because love will representing countries included in President Donald Trump’s executive order travel bans, at the South by was done with the impression The Trump administration has eral judge’s decision that struck win,” he said. Southwest Music Film Interactive Festival in Austin on Friday night. Gulf Times 20 Sunday, March 19, 2017 ASIA US crafting new sales of weapons to Taiwan

Reuters modest” arms package for Tai- Washington wan on hold, in part to let the new administration make the decision. he Trump administra- The Trump administration tion is crafting a big new source told Reuters that the Tarms package for Taiwan new deals under consideration that could include advanced would likely top the $1bn mark. rocket systems and anti-ship The new administration missiles to defend against Chi- plans to focus more than the na, US offi cials said, a deal sure previous one on enhancing to anger Beijing. Taiwan’s “asymmetric” ca- The package is expected to pabilities, possibly with ad- be signifi cantly larger than one vanced multiple launch rocket that was shelved at the end of systems, anti-ship missiles the Obama administration, the and other technologies that Residents of Seongju county participate in a protest outside a golf course being used as the site for the recently installed Thaad system, in Seongju. South Korean retail giant Lotte offi cials told Reuters on the eve would enable Taiwan’s military agreed to provide land to host a controversial US missile defence system loathed by Beijing, Seoul’s defence ministry said. of a visit to Beijing by US Sec- to defend against a much larger retary of State Rex Tillerson. Chinese force in the event of an “The political desire is there attack, the US offi cial said. to do a substantial sale,” one Lockheed Martin Corp is the administration offi cial said, top US adding that internal delib- manufacturer of multiple erations had begun on a deal launch rocket systems. “that’s much stronger, much Other foreign companies more signifi cant than the one involved in the sector include S Korean ‘presidential that was not accepted by the Germany’s Diehl and Britain’s Obama people”. BAE Systems. President Donald Trump’s A $1.83bn arms sale to Tai- administration is eager to pro- wan that Obama announced in ceed with the sales, but it is December 2015, to China’s dis- expected to take months and may, included two Navy frig- possibly into next year for the ates in addition to anti-tank candidate may review White House to overcome ob- missiles and amphibious at- stacles, including concern that tack vehicles. Beijing’s sensitivities over Tai- The United States switched wan could make it harder to se- diplomatic recognition from cure co-operation on priorities Taiwan to China in 1979, ac- such as reining in North Korea, knowledging Taiwan as part the offi cial said. of “one China.” But succes- deployment of Thaad’ Completion of a package also sive administrations have could be held up by the slow continued providing billions China has imposed sanctions with and in South Korea. the next South Korean govern- before making a trip to the United after North Korea fi red off four pace at which the Trump ad- of dollars in arms as part of a on South Korean companies China says the system’s radar ment would “continue to be sup- States. ballistic missiles into the sea off ministration is fi lling national congressionally mandated re- doing business in China can be used to spy into its terri- portive” of Thaad. Just two North-South sum- northwest Japan. security jobs, the offi cials said, quirement to ensure the island tory. A Pentagon spokesman said mits have been held since the Moon has criticised the two speaking on condition of ano- can defend itself. Reuters Moon would likely “do a re- Thaad deployment was “a criti- 1950-53 Korean war. former conservative presidents nymity because initial work Taiwan has already been Seoul view of the validity of the deci- cal measure” to defend South Choi said the decision to de- — Park and her predecessor, toward new arms sales has not a major point of contention sion”, Choi Jong Kun, an adviser Koreans and US forces against ploy the Thaad battery had been Lee Myung-bak — for derailing been made public. between Trump and China, to Moon on foreign policy told North Korean missiles. made hastily. progress made in inter-Korean Discussions between Taiwan which considers the island a he liberal South Korean Reuters. “While doing it, he will China is South Korea’s largest China’s reaction was foresee- relations under previous liberal and the new administration al- renegade province. politician most likely to consult with the United States, as trading partner and the dispute able and yet was largely ignored administrations. ready have begun, according to As president-elect, Trump Tbecome the country’s next well as China.” over Thaad has left shopping by Park’s government, he said. He calls for a “two-step” ap- a person in Taipei familiar with broke with protocol and ac- president would, if elected, re- “At the end of the day, if the districts in Seoul devoid of their “We had a strategic part- proach on North Korea, with the matter. The White House cepted a congratulatory phone view how the government would reality unfolds in a way that usual crowds of Chinese tourists. nership with Beijing, until this talks leading to “economic unifi - declined comment. call from the Taiwanese Presi- deploy an advanced US missile South Korea’s national security In China, the row has led to a Thaad issue,” Choi said. “Our cation” and ultimately “political In December, President dent Tsai Ing-wen in Decem- defence system and would con- and the economy were dam- freeze of South Korean television relationship had been pretty OK and military unifi cation”. Barack Obama’s administra- ber, angering China. sult China, two of his top advis- aged because of the Thaad, not dramas and music, and product and pretty good.” His viewpoints could spark tion put the brakes on a Taiwan He then suggested he might ers said on Friday. because of the North Korea is- boycotts. Kim Ki-Jung, another foreign friction with Washington, but deal under discussion. abandon Washington’s “one If Moon Jae-in, front-runner sue, then it’s not really a rational Moon, a liberal facing little in policy adviser to Moon, said he Moon would have no problem That package was worth China” policy, which accepts for the May 9 presidential elec- situation, is it?” the way of a signifi cant conserv- had tried to convince US mili- distancing South Korea’s inter- $1bn, Washington’s Free Bea- the self-ruled island as part of tion, reverses policy on the de- The comments are at variance ative challenger, said in a debate tary offi cials and diplomats in ests from those of the United con newspaper reported this China.Once in offi ce, Trump ployment of the Terminal High with a tough stand taken by the this week China should stop the Washington last month that the States, Kim said. week, citing unnamed offi cials, reaffi rmed the US commitment Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) new US administration on North economic retaliation and South deployment of the Thaad should “The basic assumption is that who also were quoted as saying to the decades-old policy. system, it will place him at odds Korea. Korea had to make diplomatic ef- be left to the leader who succeeds we are going to maintain the suc- the Trump administration was But some Trump aides in- with the United States, South US Secretary of State Rex Till- forts to assuage Chinese anger. Park. cess of our bilateral alliance,” now preparing new sales. sist they are needed to make Korea’s biggest ally. erson, visiting Seoul for the fi rst “It’s only right for the Thaad “We are going to acknowledge Kim said. Ned Price, a National Secu- clear that the United States, The conservative government time since taking offi ce, said on deployment issue to be decided that two governments made an “We are going to keep it... rity Council spokesman under Taiwan’s sole arms supplier, of impeached president Park Friday a US policy of “strategic by the next administration,” agreement... as long as we admit that South Obama, said the previous ad- is committed to upgrading the Geun-hye agreed to deploy the patience” with North Korea has Moon told foreign media recent- but the actual process of de- Korea is not the 51st state of the ministration put a “relatively island’s defences. Thaad to guard against attack ended and military action would ly. ployment, that should be given United States. We are an inde- by North Korea, but the decision be “on the table” if North Korea if A 63-year-old human rights to the next government,” he said. pendent country, we have our sparked outrage in China, which Pyongyang took action to threat- lawyer, Moon has said he will ex- Instead, the United States own national interest, and we responded with restrictions on en South Korean and US forces. tend an olive branch to North Ko- started to deploy the fi rst ele- should have our own foreign pol- some companies doing business Tillerson also said he expected rea if elected and visit Pyongyang ments of the system this month, icy strategy.” Seoul prosecutors to question SK A Taiwan Air Force F-16 fighter jet Group chief in infl uence scandal

Myanmar to prosecute Reuters Group said this week it was co- Seoul operating with the prosecutors’ investigation. guides if tourists wear Park, who was impeached by outh Korean prosecutors parliament in December and dis- questioned the chairman missed from offi ce by the Con- shoes on pagodas Sof the SK Group yesterday stitutional Court on March 10, in connection with an infl uence- is accused of bribery, extortion peddling scandal that brought and abuse of power in the scan- DPA According to Bagan tourguide down President Park Geun-hye, dal that has rocked South Korea Yangon R Yu Moe Myint, the number of the latest corporate leader to since October. visitors to the pagodas violat- come under suspicion. The political crisis comes as ing the rules by wearing shoes or Park, South Korea’s fi rst dem- tension with North Korea has yanmar authorities an- sleeping in the temples is increas- ocratically elected leader to be been rising over its weapons de- nounced plans to pros- ing. removed from offi ce, faces alle- velopment in defi ance of UN Mecute tour guides if their “I don’t understand foreigners’ gations that she colluded with a resolutions. visitors do not take off their shoes ignorance of our rules,” he said. friend, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure US Secretary of State Rex Till- upon entering pagodas in the The pagodas are mainly big businesses to donate to foun- erson said in Seoul on Friday a country’s tourism hotspot Bagan. climbed as viewpoints during dations set up to back her policy military response would be “on “Legal action will be taken if sunrise and sunset. initiatives. the table” if North Korea took tourists do not abide by the rules The construction of artifi cial Offi cials at the prosecutors’ action to threaten South Korean of our country,” Aung Aung Kyaw, hills serving as alternative view- offi ce could not be reached im- and US forces. the director of the Bagan Depart- ing platforms is currently un- mediately for comment about Tillerson also dismissed Chi- ment of Archaeology, told DPA on derway after the government re- their reasons for summoning SK Supporters of South Korea’s impeached ex-president Park Geun-Hye march toward the Constitutional nese opposition to South Korea’s Friday. quested that all pagodas be closed Chairman Chey Tae-won. Court during a rally demanding a repeal of the impeachment in Seoul. deployment of an advanced US Climbing the religious pago- by autumn. A similar ban however Chey did not comment to re- anti-missile system aimed at de- das is a major draw to the world- was cancelled last year after pro- porters when he arrived at the reform of South Korea’s power- and the presidential Blue House erates are being investigated, fending against North Korea. famous temple landscape, which tests from the tourism industry. prosecution offi ce. A spokesman ful family-run conglomerates, in 2015, around the time he was including the Samsung Group, China says the system’s pow- is expected to be listed as Unesco According to a Bagan district for the SK Group also declined to known as chaebol, is a major released from prison when a South Korea’s largest chaebol. erful radar is a threat to its secu- World Heritage in 2019. administration department, comment. campaign issue. The SK Group four-year term for embezzle- Its leader, Jay Y Lee, is in de- rity. The Department of Archae- around 750,000 tourists visited Park is due to appear for ques- is South Korea’s third-largest ment was commuted. tention on trial on bribery, em- Tillerson was in China on Sat- ology is currently suing a tour- Bagan between 2014 and 2016, tioning on Tuesday. She and Choi chaebol, with units in chemicals, Three SK executives were bezzlement and other charges. urday for what is likely to be a ist guide whose foreign guests bringing in $14mn to the archae- have denied wrongdoing. telecoms and semiconductors. questioned on Thursday as part Lee denies all charges and prickly visit, with China angry walked on the brickstone pagodas ological zone from entrance fees An election to pick a new pres- Chey is likely to be asked about of the same investigation. Samsung denies wrongdoing. about being told to do more to while not barefoot. alone. ident will be held on May 9 and discussions between the group At least two other conglom- A spokesman for the Lotte rein in North Korea. Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 21 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

Japanese intelligence In the shadow of concrete satellite launched

QNA successful 27 times in a row Tokyo since 2005, raising its success rate to 96.9%, Japan’s news agency Kyodo reported. apan successfully The latest satellite, which launched a rocket carry- cost 37.1bn yen ($327mn) to Jing a government intel- develop and 10.6bn yen to ligence-gathering satellite launch, will replace ‘Radar 3’, Friday after postponing its which has reached its desig- launch the previous day due nated lifespan of fi ve years. to bad weather. Japan currently operates The H-2A rocket carrying six intelligence-gathering the reconnaissance “Radar satellites — two radar satel- 5” satellite, with a capac- lites, a spare and three opti- ity to shoot photos even at cal satellites with advanced night or in bad weather, was cameras suited for capturing successfully placed in orbit images in daytime. the morning after taking off At least one image of any from the Tanegashima Space spot on Earth can be captured Center on Tanegashima Is- presently, but the govern- land, southwestern Japan, ment is aiming to increase the the Japan Aerospace Explo- number of reconnaissance ration Agency and Mitsubishi satellites in operation to 10, Heavy Industries Ltd said. including two data-relay sat- Japan once failed to launch ellites, to boost photograph- a H2-A rocket but has been ing frequency.

Bird spotted in front of door admiring itself Visitors walk among blossoms at Hama-rikyu Gardens in Tokyo.

Guardian News The sign reads: “I am a bush Queensland stone-curlew. I am fi ne, I just like to stare at myself in the window.” bird that was photo- Footage posted on YouTube graphed staring at its of the bird showed it staring Aown refl ection has risen intently at the window, un- to fame in Australia after uni- perturbed by people walking versity students made it its nearby and the door to the own Facebook page. building opening and closing Chinese FM speaks out The bush stone-curlew ap- less than a metre away. peared on campus at Queens- The bird’s antics have in- land University of Technology spired a host of memes, posted in Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, on on the bush stone-curlew of Tuesday, where it was spot- QUT Facebook group. ted standing in front of a glass Raynor told ABC news the door, apparently admiring it- animal’s behaviour was nor- against Trump charge self. mal. “They’re primarily noc- The bird spent so long there turnal birds, so they don’t get Wang claimed China has been an informal “no necktie” en- Tillerson declined to say what that Caitlin Raynor, who works to see their refl ection at night,” handling the North Korea counter that experts hope will Trump might off er Xi to secure at the university, put up a sign she said. “Staring at their re- issue with a cool head reduce tensions between the Chinese cooperation on issues up on the door informing pas- fl ection in windows is some- world’s two largest economies. such as North Korea. sers by that the bird didn’t thing these crazy birds just like Beijing “The overall China-US re- But, speaking in Beijing, need any help, it was is just to do.” Guardian News lationship really needs bet- Tillerson said China and the mesmerised by its own image. ter clarity that can only be US had agreed achieved by a meeting between “to see if we cannot bring hina rebuff ed Donald our two leaders — a face-to- the government in Pyongyang China, Russia block vote on Myanmar Trump’s latest Twitter face meeting,” Tillerson told to a place where they want to Cattack yesterday af- the conservative website Inde- make a course correction and China and Russia blocked a objections, but the diplomatic ter the US president accused pendent Journal Review before move away from their devel- proposed UN Security Council missions of the two countries Beijing of doing “little to help” landing in China yesterday. opment of nuclear weapons”. statement on Friday that did not respond to requests force the North Korean dicta- Trump’s election sparked “I think we share a common would have expressed concern from AFP for information. tor, Kim Jong-un, to abandon fears that US-China relations view and a sense that tensions over the tense situation in The proposed British-drafted his nuclear ambitions. were entering a new era of on the peninsular are quite Myanmar’s Rakhine state, statement “noted with concern Speaking in Beijing along- confrontation or even mili- high right now and that things diplomats said. Myanmar’s renewed fighting in some parts side the US secretary of state, tary confl ict although tensions have reached a rather danger- military carried out a four- of the country and stressed the Rex Tillerson, the Chinese have subsided since he backed ous level. month off ensive against importance of humanitarian foreign minister, Wang Yi, away from a threat to challenge And we have committed the Rohingya in northern access to all the areas. “We claimed a “responsible” China Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Rex Beijing’s claim over Taiwan. ourselves to doing everything Rakhine that UN human rights support the peace process and had “devoted a lot of energy Tillerson arrive for a joint press conference at Diaoyutai State Experts say they are encour- we can to prevent any kind of investigators have said likely are one of the largest bilateral and eff ort over the years” to Guesthouse in Beijing. aged that after months of sim- confl ict from breaking out,” resulted in atrocities and crimes humanitarian aid donors, solving the North Korean saga. mering discord Xi and Trump he added. Tillerson also hinted against humanity. British including in Rakhine state,” said “The tremendous and im- tion, climate change and the years. China has done little to are preparing to thrash it out at the prickly trade talks that ambassador Matthew Rycroft Rycroft, whose country holds portant eff orts that China South China Sea. help!” Trump wrote. at the so-called Winter White await Xi in Mar-a-Lago. told reporters “there was no the presidency of the Security has made are visible to all,” he But his comments came The tweet was posted on the House. Trump has repeatedly ac- consensus in the room” for Council this month. An agreed told a press conference, urg- just hours after the US presi- eve a two-day visit to Beijing “I think it actually has the cused Beijing of decimating the statement. Diplomats said statement expressing concern ing all parties — “including dent launched his latest social by Tillerson, where his mission potential to be quite a game- US industry through unfair China and Russia had raised could have led to further action. our friends from the United media salvo against Beijing, is to fi nalise plans for a high- changing moment,” said Or- trade practices such as curren- States” — to tackle the situa- accusing China’s leaders of stakes summit between Trump ville Schell, the head of the cy devaluation and subsidies, tion in a “cool-headed” man- not doing enough to persuade and the Chinese president, centre on US-China relations claims China rejects. ner. their longtime ally into giving Xi Jinping, that is designed to at New York’s Asia Society. “Our two countries should Wang made no direct refer- up his missile and nuclear pro- soothe tensions after months “The place I would look for have a positive trade relation- Stranded whale ence to Trump, who has re- grammes. of bad blood and uncertainty. some big breakthrough would, ship that is fair and pays divi- peatedly used Twitter to criti- “North Korea is behaving Trump is expected to host strangely, be on Korea.” dends both ways — and we will cise China on issues including very badly. They have been Xi at his Mar-a-Lago resort in In his interview with the be working on that going for- alleged currency manipula- ‘playing’ the United States for Palm Beach on 6 and 7 April for Independent Journal Review ward,” Tillerson said.

Protest against mining

Rescuers attempt to save a sperm whale stranded in Huizhou, Guangdong province.

China to shut down 117 small coal mines

QNA mines with an annual output Beijing of less than 300,000 tonnes and those without mechani- cal mining or safe production orthwest China’s Xin- conditions, said the regional jiang Uygur Autono- bureau of coal mine safety su- Nmous Region plans to pervision. shut down 117 coal mines this Xinjiang phased out 17 coal year, cutting 11.9mn tonnes of mines in 2016, reducing ca- coal production capacity, ac- pacity by 2.4mn tonnes, Chi- cording to the regional devel- nese news agency Xinhua re- opment and reform commis- ported. sion yesterday. Xinjiang boasts abundant These mines, along the coal resources with predicted Yili River Valley and north- reserves of 2.2tn tonnes and ern slopes of the Tianshan produced 150mn tonnes in A sign adorns a barn regarding Coal Seam Gas mining in the Pilliga region, in a paddock near the town of Gunnedah in central New South Wales, Australia. Mountains, are mainly small 2016. Gulf Times 22 Sunday, March 19, 2017 BRITAIN

Record number of EU Sturgeon: Ignoring mandate nurses quitting NHS

Guardian News and Media passed a motion at their spring con- London ference in York calling for a guaran- teed right to live and work in the UK for all EU citizens working in the NHS would ‘shatter’ UK structure he number of EU nationals and care services. registering as nurses in Eng- The former health minister Nor- Reuters Tland has dropped by 92% since man Lamb said that the government’s Aberdeen, Scotland the Brexit referendum in June, and a attitude to EU nationals in the UK was record number are quitting the NHS, “deeply damaging”, and that the crea- it can be revealed. tion of a so-called “NHS passport” continued refusal by Britain’s The shock fi gures have prompted could be a vital step. prime minister to discuss an warnings that Theresa May’s failure to “These shocking fi gures show you Aindependence referendum off er assurances to foreigners living in can’t have a strong NHS and a hard authorised by the Scottish parlia- the UK is exacerbating a staffi ng crisis Brexit,” he said. ment would “shatter beyond repair” in the health service. “The government’s refusal to guar- the United Kingdom’s constitutional Only 96 nurses joined the NHS antee that nurses from the EU can stay structure, Nicola Sturgeon told the from other European nations in De- here is not only morally unjustifi able, Scottish National Party yesterday. cember 2016 – a drop from 1,304 in it is deeply damaging for the NHS. Sturgeon will press on with plans July, the month after the referendum. “Theresa May must urgently give to hold a new Scottish independence At the same time, freedom of in- EU nationals the certainty they need referendum as announced earlier this formation responses from 80 of the before we see an even bigger exodus week, and expects to get authorisa- 136 NHS acute trusts in England show of nurses on whom our health service tion from the devolved parliament on that 2,700 EU nurses left the health relies.” Wednesday to seek a new vote once service in 2016, compared with 1,600 Joan Pons Laplana, a Spanish na- the terms for Brexit are clear but before EU nurses in 2014 – a 68% increase. tional and a senior nurse at the James Britain leaves the EU. The loss of foreign staff in the NHS Paget hospital in Great Yarmouth, But Prime Minister Theresa May is being blamed by the Royal College who came to the UK 17 years ago, told needs to sign off on any legally bind- of Nursing (RCN) on the failure of the the Observer that he had witnessed ing vote in Scotland under the UK’s government to provide EU nation- the collapse in morale of foreign nurs- constitutional arrangements, and she als in the UK with any security about es. told Sturgeon this week that “now is their future. “Since Brexit, I feel like a second- not the time” for a new choice on in- May has claimed that Britain can- class citizen,” he said. dependence. not act unilaterally to guarantee resi- “My son asked me if I was going “To stand in defi ance of (Scottish dency as it would weaken her hand to be forced back to Spain and my parliamentary authorisation) would be in the coming article 50 negotiations daughter doesn’t want to visit her for the Prime Minister to shatter be- over Brexit. grandparents because she fears I will yond repair any notion of the UK as a Janet Davies, chief executive and not be able to come back. respectful partnership of equals,” said general secretary of the RCN, said the “The UK is no longer the fi rst Sturgeon, who is also Scotland’s First government’s tactic was backfi ring, choice for EU nurses. The uncertain Minister. and now threatened the sustainability future means many they are starting “She has time to think again and I of the health service. to leave. We are people with feelings, hope she does. If her concern is timing “The government risks turning off not a commodity at the Brexit table.” then — within reason — I am happy to the supply of qualifi ed nurses from The NHS is already under pressure have that discussion,” Sturgeon said. around the world at the very moment because of a long-term failure to hire The two sides are in a standoff just the health service is in a staffi ng crisis enough people. days before Britain is expected to trig- like never before,” she said. Applications for nursing courses ger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty “As she pulls the trigger to begin plummeted by almost a quarter in a and start the extremely complicated negotiations, the prime minister must year after the government axed bur- divorce procedure. tell EU nurses and those in other oc- saries for trainees in 2016. Last June’s vote to leave the EU has Scottish National Party leader and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon walks in the conference hall of the SNP Spring cupations that they are needed and Numbers fell by 9,990 to 33,810 in altered the political landscape and Conference in Aberdeen. welcome in the NHS. 12 months, according to fi gures re- shaken the ties of the United King- “Sadly, it is no surprise that EU staff leased in February by the university dom’s four nations. sultative referendum, that is, a poll not But Sturgeon was elected last year — who still has sway with many Scots are leaving – they have been off ered admissions service Ucas. England, the UK’s most populous authorised by the British parliament. on a manifesto which included the who want to keep ties to the UK — said no security or reassurance that they Meanwhile, one in three nurses are nation, and Wales voted to leave while “This is a step by step process. If we possibility of a new independence vote Brexit had torn up the status quo and will be able to keep their jobs. Few are due to retire in the next 10 years and the Scots and the Northern Irish want- send an envelope to May and she re- if there were a material change in cir- there was a need for new powers for the able to live with such uncertainty. there are 24,000 nurse jobs unfi lled, ed to keep their EU membership. turns it unopened, then we have the UK cumstances “such as Scotland being devolved Scottish parliament. “The government has failed to train RCN fi gures show. While Sturgeon, who leads the de- government not talking to the Scottish taken out of the EU against our will.” “The third option, a patriotic Scot- enough British nurses and cannot af- A spokesperson for the DH said: volved government, told Scottish tel- government,” said a senior SNP source. “We can still decide which path we tish way and free from the absolutism ford to lose the international work- “While the stock of nurses is broadly evision on Friday that she still has “op- “That is a constitutional crisis, or take,” Sturgeon will say. “Whatever our of the SNP and the do-nothing-ism force on which the NHS so heavily stable, some of the changes described tions” if May refuses to acknowledge something very close to it,” the source diff erent opinions on independence, of the (Conservatives) is now essential relies.” owe to the introduction of more rig- her mandate to call for a new secession said. we can all unite around this simple because post-Brexit realities makes the There are an estimated 57,000 EU orous language testing. We continue vote, she declined to say what those Scottish voters rejected independ- principle: Scotland’s future must be status quo redundant and requires us nationals working for the NHS, in- to invest in the frontline, with 13,400 options were. ence in 2014 by a 10 percentage point Scotland’s choice.” to break with the past,” Brown, of the cluding 10,000 doctors and 20,000 more nurses on our wards since May There has been talk by delegates at the margin, and the issue of secession is Speaking separately in Scotland, Labour Party, told a Festival Of Ideas in nurses. 2010 and over 52,000 nurses in train- conference of the possibility of a con- still hotly contested. former prime minister Gordon Brown Kirkcaldy. Yesterday, the Liberal Democrats ing.”

Brexit more important to voters Race protest! than keeping UK together: poll

Evening Standard The survey of 2,000 voters negotiate with the EU, according London was carried out on Wednesday to the poll. and Thursday after Scotland’s Meanwhile 50.5% said they First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would still back Brexit even if rexit is more important to announced plans to stage a sec- they knew it could lead to the voters than keeping the UK ond independence referendum end of the United Kingdom, with Btogether, a poll has found. to give voters a choice between 37.8% saying they would not Just over half of people ques- leaving the UK and a “hard Tory support an exit, and 11.7% did tioned said they would still Brexit”. not know. support leaving the European Prime Minister Theresa May While a majority of people Union even if they knew it could has dismissed the call, saying across the UK voted to leave lead to Scotland becoming in- now is not the time for a fresh the EU in 2016, almost two- dependent. ballot. thirds (62%) of Scots backed The poll for the Daily Telegraph Ms Sturgeon says Scots should Remain. found that while 59% of people be allowed to vote on staying in SNP ministers insist this gives across the UK were opposed to the UK some time between au- them a “cast-iron mandate” for Scotland leaving the UK, almost tumn 2018 and spring 2019 — a second independence referen- the same number said Brexit was arguing this would allow them dum, after the party’s manifesto more important than the poten- to make an “informed choice” for the 2016 Holyrood elections tial break-up of the Union. when the terms of the Brexit deal said another poll could be held That was the stance of 59.9% are known. if there was a “material change of people surveyed by ORB. But 58.5% agreed that having in circumstances” since the 2014 Just over a quarter (26.6%) a second Scottish independence vote, such as Scotland being re- disagreed with this, while 13.5% referendum before Brexit would moved from the EU against its Protesters take part in a demonstration against racism in London yesterday. said they did not know. undermine the UK’s ability to wishes. In Labour heartlands, Brexit gives May a fi ghting chance

By James Pheby, AFP “And don’t mention immi- If May succeeds in her at- son securing 60% of the vote in election since the people voted despite describing himself as chimneys and imposing build- Hartlepool gration! I totally disagree with tempts to secure a clean break 1997. for Brexit, Labour’s share of the having “conservative overtones”. ings dominate the skyline on the the Labour view on immigra- with the European Union in order Current incumbent Iain vote has fallen, pointing to a far Getting disaff ected Labour beach south of town. tion. We’re a small island, so I’m to cut down on immigration from Wright retained the seat in 2015, more widespread disconnect be- supporters to vote Conservative Hartlepool’s anti-establish- n the former shipbuilding hub against it!” fumes Stan. other parts of Europe, experts but support was sharply down tween the party and the people,” “is a big leap,” admitted Martin- ment streak was demonstrated of Hartlepool, traditional bas- Labour voters have also been say, her party could lure wavering from Mandelson’s day, with a wrote University of Kent politics Wells. when it elected as mayor the local Ition of the centre-left Labour put off by party in-fi ghting and Labour supporters. majority of around 3,000 ahead professor Matthew Goodwin. Long-term disillusionment football team’s monkey mascot Party, lifelong supporter Stan the hugely unpopular Jeremy Tribal loyalties and historical of the United Kingdom Inde- “If Prime Minister Theresa with both major parties has so far — himself inspired by a famous grumbles that the party leaders Corbyn — resulting in a stunning bitterness against the Conserva- pendence Party (Ukip). May and her party can steal boosted the anti-establishment tale of the townsfolk hanging a have “lost their way totally”. by-election win for the Conserv- tives run deep in communities Successful negotiations in Copeland, then they will almost Ukip, which now has six mem- shipwrecked monkey during the Like seven out of 10 voters atives in Copeland, a northwest- like Hartlepool but the stagger- Brussels could boost the Con- certainly run riot across marginal bers on the council out of 33 and Napoleonic Wars, believing it to in this post-industrial town in ern area that has been a Labour ing Copeland by-election victory servative Party in England, which Labour-held seats where Labour beat the Tories into second place be a French sailor. northeastern England, Stan, a seat since 1924. last month showed all that could voted overwhelmingly to leave MPs are sitting on thin majori- in the 2015 general election. “I wouldn’t consider voting silver-haired pensioner, voted to Kevin Mason, who works in change. the European Union. ties,” he said. “I’d rather have (US President Tory, Ukip maybe, they care more leave the EU, ignoring the pleas the re-developed marina in Har- “Theresa May has been quite “The Conservatives are going Despite this, although aligned Donald) Trump here, honestly I about the working man,” said of the pro-European Labour tlepool, where restaurants and forceful in the way she is deal- to be more of a threat,” Labour over Brexit, many are in no hur- would,” middle-aged local An- Lynch. leadership. pubs have replaced the hulk- ing with Brexit and I think she is Leader of Hartlepool Borough ry to cross the divide and back gela Lynch told AFP in the town’s But with Ukip’s charismatic Theresa May’s Conservatives ing machinery and timber yards probably one of the main ingre- Council Christopher Akers- the Conservatives, who are still shopping centre, its empty units long-time leader Nigel Farage are increasingly hoping to ap- of the old docks, said he used to dients to the success of the by- Belcher told AFP. blamed for hastening the de- testament to the area’s economic now out of the picture and a peal to voters like Stan as she vote Labour but “doesn’t believe election,” said Ray Martin-Wells, Labour politicians were over- mise of local industry during the struggles. grassroots operation lacking puts Britain on the path to Brexit, any more in their politics”. chairman of Hartlepool Con- whelmingly in favour of the Eu- 1980s. Hartlepool has a population the depth of the major parties, giving the party previously un- “A lot of people around here servatives. ropean Union, driving a wedge “The Conservatives aren’t of 116,000 and unemployment is Martin-Wells believes the door imaginable hopes of winning in feel the same, they’re all just as Labour has held Hartlepool with voters in their heartlands, very kind to this area, they never roughly double the national average. is ajar. eurosceptic areas of the country disillusioned as me,” Mason, 59, since the early 1960s, with ‘New who were solidly pro-Brexit. have been, so I think that sticks in The largest employer is now “Copeland proved that any- once seen as Labour strongholds. told AFP. Labour’ architect Peter Mandel- “At every parliamentary by- the craw,” said Labour voter Stan, the nuclear power station, whose thing is possible,” he said. Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 23 BRITAIN

More than 2,500 former soldiers jailed last year

Guardian News Service the Ministry of Defence had done London more in recent years to help serv- ice personnel. “Things are improving – partly ore than 2,500 former because there is less stigma, and members of the armed partly because there are simply Mforces entered the a lot of people aff ected so people prison system last year, with ex- know more about it. People are perts warning a disproportionate coming for help earlier, too, which number were being jailed for seri- is important.” ous violence and sexual off ences. She said it was critical that According to the Ministry of families were supported, as well Justice, veterans represent be- as those operating in dangerous tween 4% and 5% of the UK situations. prison population, raising con- “We see children who are eff ec- cerns about the impact of the Af- tively part-time carers. It aff ects ghanistan and Iraq campaigns on everyone.” mental health issues in the armed Richard Streatfeild, who served forces. in Afghanistan in 2009 and wrote The historic murder convic- Honourable Warriors: Fighting tion against Alexander Blackman, the Taliban in Afghanistan, said a British marine who shot dead a that problems often emerged after seriously wounded Taliban pris- soldiers had left the army. oner in Afghanistan, was quashed Streatfeild said: “You see peo- this week and replaced with one ple start to drink too much, and of manslaughter on the grounds then there are discipline issues, of diminished responsibility. and then the relationship goes, Blackman’s lawyers argued that and then suddenly they’re really he had adjustment disorder at the struggling. time of the killing after serving for “When they’re still in the army, months on the frontline in terrible they are easy to identify, and eve- conditions. ryone knows what is going on. The MoJ began identifying vet- “But it is when they transfer erans as they entered the prison to civilian life that it gets very service in January 2015 after con- complicated because people cerns about the management of don’t realise what they have been ex-service personnel were raised through.” in a review of the criminal justice During six months in Helmand system. province, Streatfeild and his men The fi gures show that former engaged in more than 800 fi re- members of the armed forces ac- fi ghts and were the target of more counted for 721 of the “fi rst re- than 200 improvised explosive Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William talk with wounded soldiers during a visit to the Hotel des Invalides in Paris. ceptions” from July to September devices. 2015, the fi rst period for which Ten men in his company were fi gures were released. killed and 50 were wounded. The numbers appear to have Prof Sir Simon Wessely, the fallen since, with 545 arriving in president of the Royal College of the system in the same period a Psychiatrists and co-director of the year later. King’s Centre for Military Health In the year leading up to last Research, said it was important to September, 2,565 veterans were acknowledge all the factors aff ect- William and Kate praise jailed. ing soldiers’ mental health. When the data collection was He said: “We know that most fi rst announced in December service personnel don’t come 2014, the then justice secretary back with mental health prob- Chris Grayling said it would help lems, though nearly all of them “identify veterans at the earliest come back as diff erent people. opportunity, so that we can take “They are changed by their ex- Paris attacks survivors a more tailored approach to help periences, but that is not a mental them turn away from crime”. health problem. AFP More than 230 people have been killed A fi refi ghter identifi ed only as Kevin Houses of Parliament in London as the Frances Crook, the chief execu- “It’s never just about what hap- Paris by militants since January 2015. described how he was attending a con- crowds snapped them on their phones. tive of the Howard League, said pens on the battlefi eld, it’s about At the Invalides hospital, William and cert at the Bataclan concert hall that They then moved on to the Trocadero that several factors contributed an interaction between the people Kate were clearly touched by the plight night when he heard gunfi re. building, overlooking the Eiff el Tower, to the number of veterans enter- we recruit, what happens to them, rince William and his wife Kate of 25-year-old Jessica Bambal Akan, “They (the attackers) started shouting where they watched a demonstration of ing the prison system, including and the societies that come back yesterday told injured survivors of who was seriously injured in the deadli- at the audience and opened fi re,” he said. rugby skills as part of an initiative to show- alcohol abuse and post-traumatic to. It’s always a combination of all Pthe 2015 Paris terror attacks they est attack to hit France, the coordinated “Anyone who shouted was shot, so I case Britain and France’s shared interests stress disorder. three.” admired their courage, on the second day shootings and suicide bombings in east- tried to be as quiet as possible. at a time when Britain is about to trigger Research by the Howard League Patrick Rea, a director of PTSD of a visit to France. ern Paris on November 13, 2015 that left “I was hit twice in the leg but lay there the formal process of leaving the EU. found that 25% of ex-service per- Resolution, said that the char- The couple met the survivors at the 130 people dead. and kept quiet.” A young English boy at the event asked sonnel were in prison for sexual ity saw criminality and substance Invalides military hospital in Paris before The woman, who still needs to use a Ninety people were killed at the Bata- William what he thought of Brexit. off ences, compared with 11% of abuse among ex-service person- viewing world-renowned Impression- wheelchair as a result of her injuries, was clan. The prince, sticking to the protocol the civilian prison population. nel. ist artworks by Claude Monet and Edgar celebrating her 24th birthday with three William told the survivors, who are that British royals are not supposed to Crook said: “Members of the “Most veterans are very disci- Degas at the Musee d’Orsay. friends at the Belle Equipe bar when mil- being treated at the hospital: “You are get involved in politics, replied with a armed forces represent about plined, so their behaviour tends to They also watched France play Wales itant gunmen sprayed the terrace with very brave, you should be proud of your- smile: “I can’t answer that question, but 5% of the prison population, but be very self-harming,” he said. in a Six Nations rugby match at the Sta- bullets, hitting her in the leg, back and selves.” good try.” they represent a disproportion- “They quite often fi nd us be- de de France later in the day as the royal hip. Later the couple surprised tourists and William pledged Friday that Britain ate number of serious violent of- cause their partner has told them: couple wrapped up their fi rst offi cial visit “We are all lucky to be alive,” she told art lovers at the Musee d’Orsay, the high- will retain close links with France despite fences and sexual off ences, and ‘You have to get help because I to the city where William’s mother Diana the royals. ly popular museum housed in a former Brexit as they attended a star-studded that raises questions that need can’t do anything more’. died in a car crash 20 years ago. Noticing the pleated and patterned railway station, by arriving for a visit that dinner at the British embassy with fi lm answering. These are not victim- “But they do need to want help, An incident at Paris’ Orly airport ear- Chanel dress that Kate was wearing, she had not been announced to the public in stars Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou and Kris- less crimes. They have a terrible too. A lot of veterans don’t believe lier yesterday, in which a radicalised man told her she was determined to pursue a advance. tin Scott-Thomas. eff ect of the victim.” they can get better, so they live in tried to grab the rifl e of a female solider career in fashion despite her injuries. William and Kate, who met while both No offi cial commemoration of Diana’s Sue Freeth, the chief execu- a state of distress. They soldier before he was shot dead, did not appear to “I am ambitious, I am still ambitious. studying history of art at university, were death was planned during the trip, which tive of the charity Combat Stress on. I would just like to tell them aff ect the visit. But it was a reminder that I need to live and to work. I want to show shown artworks including one of Mon- comes just months before the 20th anni- which supports veterans with that they can get better. There is France remains on high alert for attacks. these men they cannot win,” she said. et’s iconic paintings of a fog-shrouded versary on August 31. mental health issues, said that a way.”

Osborne accused of breaching rules with Evening Standard job

Guardian News Service congratulate his former boss and rules laid out on these matters.” the governing party, cannot also to do with editors is always to London asked him why he had applied for Speaking in his role as a north- be an editor of an infl uential and say, ‘yes, sir’ and the columnists the job. west MP, Gwynne said: “The lack national newspaper. It is a sig- should concentrate on their own “He said that a bunch of people of respect he’s shown to his role nifi cant confl ict of interest and particular role.” he Cabinet Offi ce faces had been calling him up asking as member of parliament is a dis- unethical. The (former) chancel- The Daily Telegraph, which calls to investigate George him for advice on whether they grace and it looks like his plans lor has spoken eloquently about pays the Tory Brexit campaign TOsborne’s decision to take should vie for the editorship job, for a ‘northern powerhouse’ will the importance and goodness of poster boy Boris Johnson to fi ll a job as editor of the Evening and after a few of these calls he be joining all the other broken liberal democracies. So, if he is to column inches, said Osborne, Standard without the approval of sort of thought to himself: hang Tory manifesto promises. be editor of the London Evening whose Tatton seat faces the axe the watchdog on former ministe- on, this is something I really want “With this new four-day post Standard, he must — and I sus- at the next general election, may rial appointments. to do,” Silva said. at the London Evening Standard pect will — resign as an MP.” have been “thinking of his own Andrew Gwynne, a shadow Silva said Osborne’s “world and his one-day a week post at Newspaper editorials yester- future fi rst”. Cabinet Offi ce minister, said he view” matched that of both the BlackRock — I have no idea how day reacted to Osborne’s surprise It suggested the remain MP was wanted to raise concerns about Standard and Londoners more he is able to claim to spend any appointed with words of caution joining the growing “liberal elite” about a potential breach of the broadly, making him a good fi t for time representing the north- for the former chancellor. outside parliament, and that he ministerial code, as the advisory the job west, a region that myself and The Times, which is a some- could use the new role to try to es- committee on business appoint- “He thinks that global trade is Osborne faces calls to quit as an MP after saying he would combine many of my Labour colleagues time employer of Osborne’s tablish a “coherent force” outside ments had not yet given its judg- broadly a good thing, rather than his work in parliament with his various private sector roles. fi ght for every day.” former cabinet colleague, the Commons to hold the prime ment on the new role. a bad thing; he thinks that high- Conservatives have also ques- Michael Gove, said he should “be minister to account. Osborne is facing calls to re- skilled immigration is a good In his letter to the Cabinet Of- had repeated this procedure, an- tioned whether Osborne could aware...of the potential for con- However, it noted: “The irony sign as a Conservative MP fol- thing; he thinks Britain should fi ce, Gwynne asked John Man- nouncing his new role at the Lon- represent his constituents eff ec- fl icts of interest”. of this appointment is that it will lowing the shock announcement be an open, liberal society,” Silva zoni, the head of the civil service, don Evening Standard prior to tively while editing a daily paper It said that while he edits the confi rm the suspicion that mili- that he would combine his roles added. and Sue Gray, head of ethics at consulting the advisory commit- on top of a string of lucrative jobs. Standard in the morning Osborne tant remain today is a cosy, elitist in parliament with the editor- But John McDonnell, the shad- the Cabinet Offi ce, to investigate tee on business appointments,” Others accused him of seeking will have to “think like a ruthless project dominated by the capital. ship, an advisory job at Black- ow chancellor, criticised Os- whether Osborne followed the Gwynne wrote. to undermine Theresa May. scrutineer, seeking the story those “Rejection of the establish- Rock investment fi rm earning borne’s job as an example of the proper process after leaving of- “The rules on business appoint- One party source said MPs in government most want to hide”, ment is why some people voted £650,000 a year, lucrative speak- “rotten system” as he spoke at a fi ce eight months ago, when he ments are established to counter would be contacting their whips and by afternoon “be the prime Brexit. A remain crusade run by ing engagements and chairman- Labour economic conference in was sacked by Theresa May as suspicion that the decisions and to express dismay. minister’s supplicant, falling into the establishment is unlikely to ship of the Northern Powerhouse Newcastle yesterday. chancellor. statements of a serving minister The chief whip, Gavin Wil- line with her whips”. win them back.” Partnership. “The former chancellor is Osborne was warned by the might be infl uenced by the hope or liamson, is likely to face pressure Gove himself wished Osborne The Guardian’s leader wel- It also emerged yesterday that heading off to edit a London advisory committee on busi- expectation of future employment tomorrow to make an example of well in his new role, saying he comed Osborne to the trade as Osborne only decided to apply to newspaper,” he said. ness appointments that “advice with a particular fi rm or organisa- Osborne. welcomed “high-quality recruits “Britain’s most celebrated train- be editor of the Evening Standard “At the same time, he’s go- should be sought on all appoint- tion; and that an employer could Ryan Shorthouse, the direc- to the world of journalism”, while ee journalist”, noting that it was after friends contacted him to ask ing to be advising the world’s ments, paid or unpaid, before make improper use of offi cial in- tor of Bright Blue, a Tory think- avoiding the question of whether the fi rst time a former chancel- for advice on whether they ought biggest asset manager. Working they are taken up or announced” formation to which a former min- tank, said he expected Osborne to he had been in line for the Stand- lor had edited a daily paper, even to apply for the role. four days a month for £650,000 and that the “the committee is ister has had access to. shortly stand down as an MP. ard job himself. though journalists have become Rohan Silva, a former Downing a year. All whilst still being paid unable to off er retrospective ad- “Disregarding these rules “A free press, which holds “The thing is, I’m a columnist chancellors before. Yet it warned Street adviser who worked close- for his job as an MP. How can he vice on appointments that have deeply undermines public trust power to account, is a funda- rather than an editor,” he said at “editing is hard, full-time work” ly with Osborne in government, properly represent his constitu- already been announced”. in the democratic processes and mental part of a liberal democ- the Global Education and Skills and said “something will have to told the Today programme on ents in Cheshire when he’s edit- “Today many were again con- does a disservice to those mem- racy,” he said. Forum in Dubai. give” in his portfolio — although BBC Radio 4 that he had called to ing a newspaper for London?” cerned to fi nd that Mr Osborne bers that ensure they follow the “A sitting MP, especially of “So I know that the right thing “it should not be the journalism”. Gulf Times 24 Sunday, March 19, 2017 EUROPE Turkey ‘further away from EU membership than ever’

Reuters should join the EU but found “That will be an important not fail due to a lack of willing- triggered public outcry. Berlin himself in the minority in his So- learning process for the EU and ness on the part of EU members Gabriel said Erdogan was tak- cial Democrat (SPD) party. perhaps some of it can serve as a but rather due to Turkey not ing advantage of a sentiment Before taking power in Ger- blueprint for other countries in wanting to introduce European many people of Turkish origin urkey has never been less many in 2005, Chancellor Angela the long term,” he said. standards”. have in Germany that they are likely to join the European Merkel was an outspoken op- Luxembourg Foreign Minister Juncker added that if Turkey neither accepted nor welcomed. TUnion than now and the ponent of Turkey’s membership Jean Asselborn said in an inter- were to re-introduce the death He said Germany should avoid bloc should seek a special rela- and called for a “privileged part- view with Deutschlandfunk ra- penalty, that would result in ac- reacting in kind to provocations tionship with Britain, German nership”. dio that Turkey’s verbal attacks cession talks ending. from Turkey because that would Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel Gabriel once thought that and the way that “the rule of law Turkish President Recep only give Erdogan the “who said as relations between Ankara would make Turks feel like sec- and order in Turkey has been Tayyip Erdogan is courting Turks needs a bogeyman for his cam- and Berlin hit a low point. ond-class Europeans but said his trampled on” after a failed coup abroad for support in an April 16 paign”. “Today Turkey is defi nitely opinion had changed since Brit- in July meant there was nothing referendum that would grant him He also warned Turkish politi- further away from becoming a ain’s decision to leave the EU. that could help bring the Euro- sweeping new powers. cians that they could be banned member of the European Union “Today the situation is totally pean Union and Turkey together He infuriated Germany and from holding rallies in Germany than ever before,” Gabriel said in diff erent due to Brexit. We’d be at the moment. the Netherlands by describing if they do not stick to German an interview with news magazine well advised to bring about a European Commission Presi- bans on planned rallies by Turk- laws: “Whoever crosses these Der Spiegel published yesterday. ‘special relationship’ with Great dent Jean-Claude Juncker told ish ministers as “fascist”. lines cannot expect to be allowed He said that he always had Britain after its exit from the EU,” Bild am Sonntag newspaper that The arrest of a Turkish-Ger- to propagate his political ideas Gabriel: Today the situation is totally diff erent due to Brexit. doubts about whether Turkey the foreign minister said. Turkish accession to the EU “will man journalist in Ankara has also here.”

German spy chief doubts Erdogan expects return Gulen to blame for of capital punishment Turkey AFP the bloc has made clear that any thought about such a move. Istanbul move to restore it would scup- “What Hans and George say is per Ankara’s already-embattled not important for me,” he said, coup bid membership bid. using two common European urkish President Recep Erdogan raised the idea of names. “What the people say, Tayyip Erdogan said yes- bringing back the death penalty what the law says, that’s what is Reuters Tterday that he expected after the failed coup of July 15, important for us.” Berlin parliament to approve restoring suggesting that it would bring Erdogan has repeatedly raised capital punishment after next justice to the families of the vic- the idea that Turkey could re- month’s referendum in a move tims. store capital punishment. he Turkish government that could end Ankara’s bid to “I believe, God willing, that But this is the fi rst time he has has failed to convince join the EU. after the April 16 vote, parlia- directly called on parliament to TGermany’s BND foreign His remarks came as Ankara ment will do the necessary con- approve it after the referendum intelligence agency that US- was locked in a bitter stand-off cerning your demands for capi- on constitutional change. based cleric Fethullah Gulen was with Europe after Germany and tal punishment,” Erdogan said No judicial executions have behind last summer’s failed coup the Netherlands blocked Turk- at a televised rally in the west- taken place since October 25, in Turkey, the BND head told a ish ministers from campaign- ern city of Canakkale, his words 1984 when left-wing militant German magazine. ing for a “yes” vote ahead of the greeted by loud cheers. Hidir Aslan was hanged follow- Turkish President Recep April 16 referendum on expand- To become law, the bill would ing the 1980 military coup. Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish ing Erdogan’s powers. still need to be signed by the After the measure was out- government accuse Gulen of or- The spat has seen Erdogan head of state. lawed, the 1999 death sentence chestrating Turkey’s failed coup unleashing a volley of barbs But Erdogan said he would against Kurdish separatist leader on July 15 in which more than against Berlin and The Hague, sign it “without hesitation”. Abdullah Ocalan – and others on 240 people were killed when even likening Germany’s leaders EU offi cials have repeatedly death row – was commuted to rogue soldiers commandeered to Nazis, in remarks which were warned Turkey that restoring life behind bars. tanks, warplanes and helicop- rubbished yesterday by Berlin’s capital punishment would spell In his latest salvo, Erdogan This picture provided by the Turkish Presidential Press Service yesterday shows Erdogan with Family ters, attacking parliament and top diplomat as “ludicrous”. the end of its decades-long bid blasted German Chancellor An- Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avci (second right), Minister of attempting to overthrow the With the bitter stand-off to join the bloc. gela Merkel for backing a Dutch Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak (sixth right) and Youth and Sports Minister Akif Cagatay government. showing no sign of ending, his But Erdogan and his ministers refusal to let Turkish ministers Kilic (right) standing in silence during a ceremony marking the 102nd anniversary of the Canakkale “Turkey has tried to convince remarks on restoring the death have said they need to respond to hold rallies in Rotterdam. Victory at 18 March Stadium in Canakkale, western Turkey. us of that at every level but so far penalty looked set to further popular demand for such a move “Shame on you! You are all it has not succeeded,” BND head strain relations. to deal with the ringleaders of the same,” he said. “You will not sponse to its false behaviour, drive for nationalist votes that He has particularly needled Bruno Kahl said in an interview Turkey completely abolished the coup. divert this nation from its path. God willing.” could prove crucial in determin- Germany and the Netherlands with news magazine Der Spiegel the death penalty in 2004 as part The Turkish strongman said On April 16, my nation will give Analysts say Erdogan is happy ing the outcome of what is ex- by saying their behaviour was published yesterday. of its eff orts to join the EU and he did not care what Europe the West the most beautiful re- to pick a fi ght with Europe in a pected to be a tight referendum. reminiscent of Nazi Germany. Erdogan and the Turkish gov- ernment want the United States to extradite Gulen, who denies involvement in the coup at- tempt. Asked whether the Gulen Kurdish supporters in Frankfurt rally against Turkish president movement was extreme Islamist or terrorist, Kahl said that it was a “civil association that aims to Reuters PKK a terrorist group and it is while calling meetings between 1.4mn Turks living in Germany provide further religious and Frankfurt banned in Germany. Turkish politicians and citizens who are eligible to cast ballots in secular education”. “The Europeans should hear in Germany “dangerous”, a ref- the April 16 referendum. Kahl also said he did not think us, empathise with our suff er- erence to the recent ban in Ger- Erdogan is seeking support the Turkish government was round 30,000 Kurdish ing and help us. It would be best man cities on referendum rallies among Turks abroad for the ref- behind the coup, saying: “The supporters demonstrated if they imposed economic sanc- by Turkish politicians. erendum. coup attempt was not initiated Ayesterday in the German tions on Turkey,” demonstrator Police in Frankfurt, where German Foreign Minister by the government. Before July city of Frankfurt against Turkish Sinan Anin said. hundreds of offi cers were de- Sigmar Gabriel has said that Er- 15 the government had already President Recep Tayyip Erdogan The protest brought swift ployed to the event, described dogan is taking advantage of a started a big purge so parts of the and an April referendum that condemnation from Turkey, the protest as peaceful and said sentiment that many people of military thought they should do would give him sweeping new which said Germany was allow- on Twitter that most of the Turkish origin have in Germany a coup quickly before it hit them powers. ing open support for terrorism. demonstrators had complied that they are neither accepted too.” Protesters chanted “Erdogan “We strongly condemn the with German laws, adding: “We nor welcomed. Kahl also warned of an in- terrorist” and “freedom for German authorities for allowing want to guarantee they can ex- Demonstrator Mustafa Bostan creasing Russian threat to Ocalan”, referring to Abdul- the demonstrations by PKK ter- ercise their fundamental rights.” said if Erdogan won the referen- Germany and Europe, saying: lah Ocalan, the jailed leader of rorist supporters,” Ibrahim Ka- On Wednesday Martin dum, things would worsen: “It “Russia has doubled its fi ghting the militant Kurdistan Workers lin, Erdogan’s spokesman, said Schaefer, spokesman for the could be that he’ll say: ‘I’ve won strength on the western border Party (PKK), with many waving in a statement. foreign ministry, said that the again’ and then he’ll start fi ght- ... you can’t see all of that as a fl ags featuring Ocalan’s face. He said Germany was treating German government had ap- ing again and destroying Kurd- defence against the West”. Kurdish supporters protest against Erdogan in Frankfurt. The EU and US consider the terrorists as legitimate actors proved voting by the estimated ish towns or killing Kurds.” Macron wants conscription Russia marks Crimea

Reuters the country’s highest offi ce. dent Francois Hollande was ac- Paris He vowed to strengthen companied yesterday by offi cials takeover anniversary France’s overseas operations from current Defence Minister against Islamist militants in the Jean-Yves Le Drian, who has residential favourite Em- Middle East and Africa, face been advising his ex-cabinet col- AFP Putin ordered special forces troops to manuel Macron said yes- Russia’s “military affi rmation”, league. Moscow take control of strategic infrastructure Pterday that he wanted to the United States’ “unpredict- The country is in the throes of before a hastily organised referendum restore military service to France ability” and the “militarisation a highly-charged election cam- was held that was rejected by the inter- as part of eff orts to face a world of terrorism” that was leading to paign after two years of attacks ussia marked yesterday a low-key national community. entering an era of “turbulence” acts of war on home soil. on civilians and public targets by third anniversary of the seizure The Kremlin argued it was reacting to comparable to the Cold War. “The current period is a turn- Islamic State (IS) militants – sev- Rof Crimea from Ukraine, as Kiev an illegal coup in Kiev. The 39-year-old former in- ing point comparable to the Cold eral of them in Paris – that have blasted the annexation of the strategic The move unleashed a wave of na- vestment banker, running as an War, but this time we are enter- killed more than 230 people and Black Sea peninsula as a “crime”. tionalist sentiment that saw Putin’s independent centrist, is seen ing an era of extreme turbulence, forced the government to put State-run television showed footage popularity soar, with many Russians winning the April/May election a new era of confl icts,” Macron 10,000 soldiers on the streets to of sparsely attended concerts and pa- seeing the region that once belonged in a run-off with far-right leader said. reinforce security. rades in cities across the vast country to Moscow as their country’s rightful Marine Le Pen, who herself has Outlining the need for Europe France has been under a state and there was much less fanfare over the property. promised to bring back conscrip- to reaffi rm itself in the face of of national emergency since No- event than in previous years. The annexation plunged ties between tion 16 years after it ended. major powers like Russia, China vember 2015. President Vladimir Putin – who last Russia and the West to their lowest level Ahead of the fi rst face-to-face and the US, Macron insisted that Macron said the conscription year spent the anniversary visiting Cri- since the Cold War, as the US and EU televised debates with his rivals he would “serve France’s inter- would involve about 600,000 mea – was not expected to take part in responded with sanctions against Mos- for the Elysee palace next week, ests fi rsts” to ensure it kept its young men and women each year any of the offi cial celebrations that in- cow. Macron’s speech to the military, strategic autonomy and was able and occur for a one-month pe- clude a concert and fi rework display in The takeover of Crimea was fol- defence and foreign policy com- to act alone at any moment if riod between the ages of 18 to 21. Moscow. lowed by a separatist confl ict in eastern munity, sought to allay criti- needed. The army and national gen- Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in Ukraine that has claimed some 10,000 People wave Russian flags as they celebrate the cism from his opponents that he The former economy minister darmerie would oversee the 2014 following the ouster of its Kremlin- lives in nearly three years of fi ghting that third anniversary of the annexation of the Crimea would be too inexperienced for under outgoing Socialist Presi- service. backed leader by mass protests in Kiev. Russia is accused of stage-managing. in Sevastopol. Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 25 EUROPE Man shot dead at Paris airport after bid to seize

Travellers wait to be evacuated from Paris’ Orly airport.

Right: A French special forces soldier’s fi rearm police off icer secures the area at Paris’ Orly airport. Reuters/DPA/AFP source, said that the attacker had Paris texted his father saying: “I’ve Left: An airport CCTV screen screwed up. I’ve shot a police- image shows a man, believed to man.” be the suspect, on the ground ecurity forces shot dead President Francois Hollande inside Orly Sud terminal a man who tried to seize said the case had been turned following the shooting incident. Sa soldier’s gun at Paris over to anti-terrorism prosecu- Orly airport yesterday, forcing tors and a number of operations Below: A police off icer is seen the evacuation of the busy air- were under way. at the house of the suspect, in port and putting security back The incident had shown the Garges-les-Gonesse. in the spotlight in the middle of need for the “Sentinelle” secu- France’s presidential election rity operation brought in after an The atmosphere at the airport campaign. outbreak of attacks by militants was mostly calm following the The man, identifi ed as a in 2015, he said. attack, even as police convoys 39-year-old radicalised Muslim More than 230 people have with wailing sirens moved slowly who was already on the radar of died in France in the past two around the grounds and a fi re police and intelligence services, years at the hands of attack- service helicopter circled over- had earlier shot and wounded a ers allied to the IS group, whose head. police offi cer with an air gun af- strongholds in Syria and Iraq are “We saw the bomb squad ar- ter a routine traffi c stop north of being bombed by an internation- riving, the black vans,” Michelle, Paris, offi cials said. al coalition including France. a pensioner whose son had With the country in the throes These include co-ordinated brought her to the airport for of a highly-charged election bombings and shootings in No- threatened customers of a bar, his fi rst name of Dominique, said a holiday in Tunisia, told DPA. campaign after two years of at- vember 2015 in Paris when 130 Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux that he saw a man seize the wom- “It was all blocked, at fi rst we tacks on civilians and public people were killed and scores in- told reporters. an soldier by the arm and take thought there had been an acci- targets by Islamic State (IS) mili- jured. Soon afterward at Orly, he hold of her weapon. dent.” tants – several of them in Paris Strengthening France’s securi- tried to seize a Famas assault rifl e “The man took a soldier hos- Flights were suspended from – the anti-terrorism prosecutor ty is at the heart of the campaign from a woman air force member tage, he was holding her by the both airport terminals and some has opened an investigation. for presidential elections in April who was patrolling the airport as neck and he was threatening two fl ights were diverted to Paris A police source identifi ed the and May, where centrist Em- part of the army’s “Sentinelle” other soldiers with the woman’s Charles de Gaulle airport, airport man only as Zied B and said he manuel Macron is predicted to security operation. rifl e,” said the man who was due sponse to the January 2015 Is- The British royals earlier on operator ADP said. was known to the police for theft hold off a strong challenge from The man wrestled her to the to catch a fl ight to the Dominican lamist attack on the offi ce of the Saturday met some of the survi- But normal fl ight operations and drug off ences. far-right-winger Marine Le Pen, fl oor, but she kept a grasp on her Republic. “I heard cries and I saw satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, vors of the Paris attacks in a visit were later said to be resuming, An army spokesman said he who advocates tough measures weapon, French Defence Minis- the soldiers who were holding a which killed 12 people. to a military hospital. the Paris airports operator said. was shot dead after a struggle against illegal immigrants and ter Jean-Yves Le Drian said. person at gunpoint.” The operation was reinforced Around 3,000 passengers were Last month, Egyptian Abdul- with a female soldier on patrol in radical Islamists. In the ensuing struggle on the The incident took place around after the November 2015 attacks evacuated from Orly, France’s lah Reda al-Hamahmy, 29, was the airport terminal after he had Yesterday’s series of events ground, other members of the 8.30am (0730 GMT) in the Orly- in Paris. second-busiest airport, after shot and seriously wounded earlier shot and wounded an of- began at Stains, near Le Bourget patrol opened fi re, killing him, an Sud terminal. Yesterday’s attacks would have the incident as security services when he launched himself at a fi cer with an air pistol during a airport in northern Paris, where army spokesman said. Her comrades tried to reason no impact on a trip to Paris by sealed off the terminal and swept group of soldiers near the Louvre, police check on the opposite side the man fl ed in a car after he shot “I saw the terrorist and the po- with her assailant. Prince William, second-in-line it for bombs, but no explosives crying out “Allahu Akbar”. of Paris. and wounded an offi cer at a road liceman [sic] on the ground, and “We ran off , down the stair- to the British throne, and his wife were found. On Thursday, a letter bomb ex- The man’s father and brother check. we heard shots,” Jean-Pierre, a case. Afterwards, we heard two Kate, who were due to end a two- Crowds of passengers waited ploded at the Paris offi ces of the were taken into police custody, a Soon afterwards, he was in- retiree, told DPA. “They told us shots,” he told BFM TV. day visit to the French capital outside. International Monetary Fund, judicial source said. volved in a carjacking in another to evacuate. There was no panic.” “Sentinelle” is the govern- yesterday, a British spokesman No one else was injured at the injuring a secretary who suff ered BFM TV, without giving a Paris suburb Vitry where he One witness, who gave only ment’s stepped-up security re- said. airport. burns to her hands and face.

NGOs: Mental health of refugees, migrants crumbling in Greece

By Karolina Tagaris and seen children ... turn to sub- Alkis Konstantinidis, Reuters stance abuse as a way of coping Athens/Chios, Greece with the seemingly endless mis- ery they face,” it said. The EU-Ankara deal came efugees and migrants into force on March 20, 2016 stuck in Greek camps, in- after a million refugees and Rcluding children as young migrants from Syria, Iraq, Af- as nine, are cutting themselves, ghanistan and beyond reached attempting suicide and using Europe in 2015, crossing over to drugs to cope with the “endless Greek islands from Turkey. misery”, international charities Under the deal, anyone who said this week. crosses into Greece without In reports marking one year documents can be deported to since the European Union struck Turkey unless they qualify for a deal with Turkey to stem the asylum in Greece. fl ow of refugees and migrants to But long asylum procedures Greece, Save the Children and and a huge backlog have strand- Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders (fourth from left) observes as a tree is planted at the national Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) ed 14,000 asylum-seekers on monument for the victims of flight MH17, in Vijfhuizen. found anxiety, depression and fi ve Greek islands, double the aggression were on the rise. capacity. Mental health was “rapidly The EU has hailed the deal as a deteriorating due to the condi- success for stemming the tide of This picture taken this week shows the Moria migrant camp on the tions created as a result of this refugees and migrants to Europe island of Lesbos, almost a year after an EU-Turkey deal. Families of victims plant fi rst deal”, Save the Children said. through Greece. “One of the most shocking The problems arising from them feel like animals and ob- cases of self-harm and suicide and appalling developments the logjam do not just apply to jects,” it quoted a staff member also rose. Save the Children staff have children. of Praksis, its partner organisa- On nearby Samos, it found an trees at MH17 memorial park witnessed is the increase in Save the Children described tion, as saying. escalation in suicide attempts suicide attempts and self-harm conditions in overcrowded On the island of Lesbos, in recent months based on 300 amongst children as young as camps as “degrading”, forcing where more than 3,000 asylum- mental health consultations. AFP Van Zijtveld, who lost a son, A Dutch-led criminal investi- nine,” it said. asylum-seekers to fi ght for ba- seekers live, MSF recorded a 2.5- “They are losing any hope Vijfhuizen, Netherlands daughter and his parents-in-law, gation into the attack concluded One 12-year-old boy fi lmed sics such as blankets, a dry place fold increase in the percentage that they will fi nd a safer, better told AFP. in September last year that a BUK his suicide attempt after wit- to sleep, food and warm water. of patients with symptoms of future than the one they fl ed,” The Malaysia Airlines Boeing missile, transported from Russia, nessing others doing so. “The living conditions have anxiety and depression. said Jayne Grimes, an MSF psy- elatives of those killed 777 passenger jet was shot down was fi red from a fi eld in a part of “Save the Children staff have made them lose hope and made Symptoms of psychosis and chologist on Samos. when fl ight MH17 was over eastern Ukraine on July 17, war-torn Ukraine then control- In a bleak seaside tent camp Rdowned over Ukraine in 2014 en route from Amsterdam led by pro-Russian rebels, and Human traffi cker suspected of torture arrested in Italy aft er mob attack on Chios island, hundreds more mid-2014 planted the fi rst trees to Kuala Lumpur killing all 298 hit the plane. asylum-seekers wait for months yesterday in a Dutch memorial on board, most of them Dutch But it stopped short of saying A people smuggler who allegedly tortured refugees His methods allegedly included the use of electric with no clarity on their future. park not far from where the ill- citizens. who pulled the trigger. in Libya has been arrested in Italy after he was recog- shocks and scalding with boiling water. “Why I cannot leave? How fated plane departed. “The 298 trees will remind The Dutch-led investigation nised by migrants there and nearly killed by a lynch After arriving by boat on the Mediterranean island long more I must wait?” asked “Today is a very important us of each life that was stolen did not directly accuse Moscow mob, police said yesterday. of Lampedusa on March 5, he was recognised and Jafar, an 18-year-old from Pa- day for all the next of kin. We are on July 17 that year,” said Dutch of supplying the BUK missile and The 20-year-old Ghanaian suspect is thought to have attacked by migrants, and later taken into police kistan who arrived in Greece a planting the fi rst trees ... to cre- Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, its transporter system – and the tortured and raped people for money at a camp custody. year ago, on his way to the doc- ate a monument for MH17,” Evert who also planted a tree. Russian government has repeat- in Libya, according to police in the Sicilian city of The alleged campaign of abuse had taken place in tor to treat a cold. van Zijtveld, chairman of the The park, in the shape of a gi- edly denied any involvement in Agrigento. four shipping containers in Libya in which around “The conditions are turning MH17 victims’ foundation said. ant ribbon consisting of apple, the tragedy. The man tortured several of his victims during tel- 800 people were held captive. children from young people who “We are planting the trees to ash and hawthorn trees among The incident came at the most ephone conversations with their family members in a Most migrants heading from Africa to Europe set are calm and full of dreams to ensure their memory will not be others, lies a few kilometres from heated point in the war, straining bid to extort money from them, the police statement sail from Libya’s largely lawless coastline in flimsy, people who want to harm prop- forgotten and to remind us that Schiphol airport, from where tensions between the West and said. overcrowded boats. erty, others and themselves,” we still want justice for MH17,” MH17 took off . Moscow even further. another Praksis member said. Gulf Times 26 Sunday, March 19, 2017 INDIA

GOVERNMENT POLITICS CONTROVERSY TRAGEDY EDUCATION IT department names CPM to field youth leader AAP seeks action Civilian killed while 97-year-old in university major tax defaulters for Malappuram by-election against Delhi BJP chief rescuing woman for MA programme

Tightening the noose on major tax defaulters, the The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala The Aam Aadmi Party yesterday sought A 33-year-old man trying to rescue an abducted A 97-year-old, who enrolled for a Masters in Income Tax Department yesterday made public yesterday said its local youth leader M B Faizal action against Delhi Bharatiya Janata woman was beaten and drowned in a stream in economics in Patna in 2015, has been recognised the names of individuals and corporates who owe would contest the upcoming Malappuram Lok Party chief Manoj Tiwari after a video of a north Kashmir village yesterday, police said in by the Limca Book of Records as the oldest man to Rs4.48bn in taxes to the government. However, Sabha by-election to be held on April 12. State him insulting a woman teacher at a public Srinagar. A police off icer said a resident of Rafiabad do so. The Limca Book of Records has included the most of the defaulters remain untraceable. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told function emerged on social media. AAP’s in Baramulla district had filed a complaint that his name of Raj Kumar Vaishya for enrolling himself “Defaulters are advised to pay tax arrears reporters that the state unit of the party has Delhi convener Dilip Pandey called Tiwari’s wife was kidnapped by a person belonging to the for M A in Economics in 2015 at Nalanda Open immediately,” said full page advertisements in cleared Faizal’s name and sent it to the national behaviour “shameful and unfortunate”, and Uri border town. A police team went to search for University (NOU). Vaishya said he enrolled one- national dailies listing out all the 29 defaulters with leadership. “The upcoming poll would be an urged the Delhi Commission for Women the woman and took along two civilians from the and-half years ago for two reasons: “To fulfil my their names, PAN details and last known addresses. evaluation of the 10-month-old CPM-led Pinarayi (DCW) to take “strict action” against the BJP complainant’s family to identify her. However, a long nurtured desire to get a Masters degree and The tax arrears range from Rs10mn to over Vijayan Kerala government and also the communal leader. “In the video which appears three- mob assisting the accused attacked the policemen to study economics to be able to understand why Rs2.57bn. One of the defaulters, Irfan Ahmed who politics played by the BJP national government,” said four days old, Tiwari is seen humiliating a and “held one of the two civilians as hostage”, said India has failed to solve problems like poverty.” owes Rs2.57bn in taxes, is not traceable. His date Balakrishnan. “The good governance of our state lady teacher for inviting him respectfully on the police off icer. “The civilian was severely beaten Vaishya, who graduated in 1938 and retired in 1980 of birth, father’s name, PAN details and source of government will be what we would be showcasing the stage and requesting him to sing a few and thrown into a stream from where his dead as a general manager in a private firm, lives with income are missing from the records. when we are on the campaign trail,” said Faizal. lines,” Pandey said. body was recovered,” he said. the family of his second son.

5 Maoist Cashing in on protest rebels 245 foreign killed in shootout tourists died AFP Raipur

t least fi ve suspected Maoist rebels were killed Ayesterday in a remote part in Goa in 12 of central India, police said, the latest attack in the country’s in- ternal simmering confl ict. The gun battle took place when a police patrol, following a tip on the presence of rebels in a forest area in the restive Chhat- years: police tisgarh state, was out on a search operation. Relatives of foreigners tourists in 2016. There were 20 conclusion. “Has he come to “Five bodies of Maoists have whose deaths were classified suicides in Pernem district. An- some sort of harm at the hands been recovered so far,” police as natural or accidental say other 23 people drowned, while of a third party or has there been deputy inspector general Sunda- some cases could be the the cause of death for another an accident? I just don’t know,” rraj P said. result of foul play 39 people is listed as “not known she said, according to news re- Two policemen were also in- or pending”. Foreign men aged ports. jured in the shootout. By Michael Safi between 30 and 49 are most at Sara Neighbour’s brother “They are under treatment Panaji risk of dying in the districts, the Martin was found dead on Ara- and out of danger,” the offi cer records show. mbol beach in February 2008 in said. The families of at least six a case that was also classifi ed as Police also recovered hand n Irish-British dual na- foreigners who died while holi- a drowning. But Neighbour told grenades and two rifl es. tional whom police be- daying in Goa have told the an inquest in London her brother Police were on the trail of Alieve was murdered in Guardian they question initial “looked like he had been beaten some of the rebels who managed Goa was one of more than 245 rulings that the deaths of their up”. to escape, the offi cer said. foreigners to die in four dis- loved ones were natural or ac- One of those listed as mur- The attack is the latest in tricts of the state in the past cidental. dered was 15-year-old Scar- a deadly conflict that pits 12 years, according to police One of those listed as a natural lett Keeling from Devon, whose the insurgents against lo- records obtained by the Guard- death is 22-year-old Felix Dahl, a bruised body was found in the cal and national authorities ian. Finnish national who was found shallows of Anjuna beach in Feb- in the forests and rural areas A postmortem on the body dead in Patnem, Canacona, in ruary 2008. The documents list of mainly central and eastern of Danielle McLaughlin has re- January 2015. Dahl was found her cause of death as “drowning India. vealed the 28-year-old had been with skull wounds - a postmor- in the beach sand water (mur- Last week rebels killed 11 sexually assaulted and strangled tem carried out in Goa attributed der)”. paramilitary commandos in the in the hours after leaving a party his death to an accidental fall. Keeling’s death was initially region after ambushing their on Monday at Palolem beach, a However, a second autopsy con- ruled an accidental drowning, convoy. popular spot in the south of the ducted in Finland showed “that before pressure from her mother The troops were on their way state. was impossible”, his mother forced a second autopsy, which to provide protection to workers Police say they have arrest- Manni Pirhonen said. revealed evidence of drugs in her for a road construction project ed and will charge a local man system, more than 50 cuts and when the gunmen attacked. they have identified as Vikat “(We) suspect that murders bruises and signs of sexual as- The guerrillas, who say they Bhagat with her rape and of tourists are actually very sault. are fi ghting for the rights of murder. Bhagat, described as common in Goa” The death of Denyse Sweeney tribal people and landless farm- a local gang member, was seen was initially ruled by police as ers, often collect funds through with McLaughlin on CCTV “The doctors say his damages a drug overdose, but an inquest extortion. footage the day before her resulted from high impact force found no illegal substances in The Maoists are believed to be death. of some sort and falling is ex- her body and the initial inves- present in at least 20 states but Records from the Goa po- cluded,” she said. tigation reportedly overlooked are most active in Chhattisgarh, lice, obtained under India’s A man known to have been in evidence of injuries on her body. Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and freedom of information laws, contact with her son is an asso- The case has since been listed as Maharashtra, occupying thou- show that six other foreign- ciate of Bhagat, the man arrested a murder. sands of square kilometres of ers’ deaths were classified in the McLaughlin case, and the Speaking on behalf of the land. as murders in the Anjuna, pair were among a group ar- families, Pirhonen said they The decades-long insur- Pernem, Mapusa and Cana- rested in the past for a series of felt it was unlikely that so many gency is believed to have cost cona districts in the decade burglaries in Canacona. young people were dying natural tens of thousands of lives, with leading to August 2015. Sixteen days after Dahl’s deaths in the state. much action focused around Another 157 foreigner deaths death, the body of James Dur- “(We) suspect that murders of the insurgent-dominated, so- were classifi ed as natural or ac- kin also washed up on a beach in tourists are actually very com- called “Red Corridor” stretch- cidental, but a group of relatives Canacona after he went missing mon in Goa,” she said. “Nothing ing through central and eastern of some of the tourists who died for more than a month. The body is properly investigated except India. in the resort state say authorities of the 34-year-old from south maybe now (with the McLaugh- Critics believe attempts to end have overlooked crucial clues in London was badly decomposed lin case). This was too obviously the revolt through tough securi- some cases that could point to and showed possible signs of a murder, so they could not say ty off ensives are doomed to fail, foul play. mutilation. she fell or drowned. Anybody saying the real solution is better A rag picker collects fake currency notes thrown by Youth Congress activists during a protest The statistics reveal a darker His death is listed in the who’s found in the water, they governance and development of rally against the West Bengal government in Kolkata yesterday. picture of the coastal para- records as a drowning but a cor- say has drowned.” - Guardian the region. dise which saw more than 5mn oner in the UK reached an open News and Media

Court jails 13 for life over Racing champ, wife murder at Maruti car plant killed in car crash

Agencies ple due to the continuing explo- Agencies Dev, who was a human re- John’s team plans to appeal Chennai sions. New Delhi sources manager, died after the verdict. One of them alerted the Chen- he failed to escape a blaze “If 13 people have been con- nai city police control room. which was started by workers victed for murder wrongly race-car driver and his Fire and rescues personnel court yesterday sen- who went on the rampage in there will be a challenge to it,” wife were killed early yes- from nearby Mylapore rushed to tenced 13 workers to life Manesar, which is around two John said. Aterday after their BMW the spot and battled the inferno Ain jail for the murder of a hours’ drive southwest of the Prosecutors told the court crashed into a tree and burst into for over half-an-hour. senior manager in an outburst capital. that the attack was the result of fl ames in Chennai, police said. Traffi c police recovered their of deadly violence at a car plant “Thirteen people who were a conspiracy by workers, who Ashwin Sundar and his wife charred bodies after managing in 2012, one of the country’s convicted of murder have been had been at loggerheads with Nivedhitha were on their way to get the car open. worst episodes of labour un- given the life sentence,” Rebec- the management over wages home when their car swerved The accident occurred at 3.30am rest. ca John, a senior lawyer repre- and plans to set up a union at out of control and rammed into on the Santhome High Road. The court last week con- senting the workers, said. the workplace. the tree. Sundar, 31, was a rising star in victed a total of 31 workers, The court sentenced four of But union leaders claim it “The vehicle got stuck be- the car racing industry, winning including 13 for murder, after the remaining 18 - all of whom was triggered by an argument tween the tree and the com- the National F4 championships hundreds of employees clashed were found guilty of rioting, ar- between a supervisor and a pound wall on the road side... in 2012 and 2013. with managers over wages and son and damaging property - to casual employee, who was (and then) the car caught fi re,” S He signed a deal with German appointments at the Maruti fi ve years in jail “which means abused over his low caste. Yuvraj, a local investigative po- racing team Ma-Con Motorsport Suzuki factory in Manesar. they have another one or two The plant, which manufac- lice offi cer, said. and drove for the German For- The hearing in Gurgaon, on months to serve”, John said. tures nearly 700,000 cars an- Yuvraj said the couple were mula Volkswagen ADAC Cham- the outskirts of New Delhi, The rest were expected to nually, was shut for 60 days trapped in the blazing vehicle pionship in 2008. jailed 13 workers for murder- walk free with the court stating prior to the deadly violence. after it auto-locked from the im- “It’s a sad day for motor ing Awanish Kumar Dev, whose they had already served more Maruti Suzuki, a subsidiary pact. sports,” Federation of Motor charred body was found in the than four years behind bars of Japanese automobile major The wreckage of the BMW car. Racing champion Ashwin Sundar and Passersby gathered around Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) remains of a building following while awaiting the outcome of Suzuki, has a market share of his wife Nivedhitha died after the car crashed into a tree and burst the car but couldn’t do anything president Akbar Ebrahim tweet- the riots in July 2012. the case. 51% in India. into flames yesterday. to douse the fi re or save the cou- ed. Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 27 INDIA

‘Enemy property’ law unfairly targets Muslims: analysts

Reuters 1968, enacted after the India- at the time and seized properties be enemies and take away their properties worth thousands of disputes related to enemy prop- 2,100 a few years ago - nearly all Mumbai Pakistan War three years earlier, of those who left for India. right of succession?” said Husain crores of rupees do not revert to erty - was passed on March 10 by taken from Muslim families - and gave the Indian government the The amended law, which Dalwai, a member of the Rajya the enemy or enemy fi rm”. the upper house, despite a walk- are estimated at more than Rs1tn right to seize assets of Indian would apply retrospectively, Sabha, the upper house of parlia- The Supreme Court ruled in out by opposition members. ($15bn). controversial bill that nationals who had moved to Pa- extends the definition of “en- ment. 2005 that legal heirs who are India’s large Muslim minority, “The idea of the bill seems to amends a fi ve-decade-old kistan or China following wars emy” to include legal heirs of “It is against the constitution Indian citizens can reclaim so- which makes up 13% of the pop- be to deprive Muslims of their Alaw to deny Indian fami- with the two countries. declared enemies, even when and it targets Muslims unfairly,” called enemy property, follow- ulation, lags the national average right to ancestral property that lies of those who moved to China Those who left India for Pa- the heir is an Indian citizen, or he told the Thomson Reuters ing decades of petitioning by the on land ownership, and faces bias the state seized,” said Anand and Pakistan the right to reclaim kistan were Muslims, and rela- of a country not deemed to be Foundation. family of the erstwhile Raja of when buying or renting proper- Grover, a rights lawyer who ar- “enemy properties” seized by the tions between the two countries an enemy. The government has said the Mahmudabad, who left India af- ties. gued the case before the Supreme state unfairly targets Muslims, remain fraught after numerous “When the families are citi- amendments are in the “larger ter partition in 1947. The number of properties with Court. analysts say. confl icts. zens of the country, how can the public interest” and will plug But the amendment - also bar- the Custodian of Enemy Property “It’s anyone’s guess what will The Enemy Property Act of Pakistan enacted a similar law government consider them to “loopholes to ensure that enemy ring civil courts from hearing has risen to about 16,000 from happen now,” he said. Did Yogi put pressure on Modi, Shah?

IANS Five-time Gorakhpur MP Lucknow Yogi Adityanath, who had gone into a sulk following reports that his name was not being t was not after all as smooth considered, was, meanwhile, an operation for Prime Min- flown to New Delhi in a char- Iister Narendra Modi and tered plane. He drove straight Bharatiya Janata Party president to Shah’s bungalow where they Amit Shah to pick the new Uttar were closeted for some time. Pradesh chief minister as it was A decision was taken there, in other states like Maharashtra, say sources, after consultation Haryana, Assam, Goa and Utta- with and approval of Modi, who rakhand. There were many in the in a few minutes was to fly to race, some of them the favourites Uttarakhand for the swearing of the two most powerful men in in of the new BJP government in the country. the hill state. But yesterday, as the elec- Leaders privy to the deci- tion of the new Uttar Pradesh sion said that in many ways chief minister tossed from one both Shah and Modi were “arm name to another, the final se- twisted” into decision-making. lection proved one of the most “UP is different. Here people surprising - Yogi Adityanath, suffer from subdued arrogance who enjoys strong RSS backing and political empowerment... and may not have been the first they are not too keen to fol- choice of Modi and Shah. low blind diktats,” said a sen- Till Friday, Minister of State ior journalist who did not rule Yogi Adityanath is greeted after he was elected as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, in Lucknow yesterday. for Railways Manoj Sinha was out that the sulking Yogi could the frontrunner for the top have put the prime minister and post. He bowed as other names Shah under some “pressure”. cropped up. After landing at the Chow- Federal Home Minister Ra- dhary Charan Singh interna- jnath Singh was already out for tional airport Mathur, Keshav, various reasons, a party source Sunil Bansal and Adityanath said. left for the VVIP guest house in Having served as the last BJP the heart of the state capital and BJP fi rebrand chosen chief minister between 2001- a stone’s throw from Lok Baha- 2002, Rajnath Singh was dropped man, where the BJP lawmakers for more than one reason - he is were to meet at 5pm. not the best known favourite of the They were then closeted in Modi-Amit Shah duo, his electoral room number 111 for over 30 track record has been abysmal and minutes where the “please all over all his becoming the chief plan” was worked out. new Uttar Pradesh CM minister would have spiked the It was decided that Yogi will be chances of his fi rst-term legislator named the chief minister while Opposition slams Yogi in Lucknow late yesterday. ian strife, surprised many after opment, good governance and Adityanath “is not a good choice son Pankaj Singh’s potential entry Maurya and Lucknow Mayor Adityanath’s appointment Earlier television footage Modi made his development against caste politics.” and will not help Modi’s develop- into the state government. Dinesh Sharma will be “requisi- showed BJP workers garlanding agenda the focus of his campaign But Manish Tewari, senior ment agenda.” Sources said Sinha was al- tioned” by Adityanath as helping Agencies and feeding sweets to the Hindu in the region, which is tradition- leader of the Congress Party, Modi’s dominance has been most finalised after this until hands - deputy chief ministers. Lucknow hardliner who was draped in his ally fractured along caste and re- tweeted that Adityanath’s ap- largely unchallenged since he party leader Om Mathur bat- The fact that the state would iconic saff ron-coloured robe. ligious lines. pointment was a “harbinger to won the fi rst overall majority in ted strongly for Keshav Prasad have this arrangement for the A fi ve-time MP, Adityanath, Observers questioned wheth- greater polarisation.” three decades in 2014 elections Maurya, the BJP state unit chief first time also speaks of the he Bharatiya Janata Party 44, is a popular leader known er Adityanath would continue Trinamool Congress MP Sau- on a pledge to wipe out corrup- who is credited with bringing in rumblings in the saffron camp yesterday picked contro- for his fi ery Hindu rhetoric who pushing his “Hindutva”, loosely gata Roy said it was the pre- tion and kickstart the economy. the MBC votes for the party in on deciding the name for the Tversial fi rebrand leader has stirred controversies over translated as “Hinduness”, ideol- rogative of the BJP to make the Federal Home minister Rajnath the assembly polls. top slot. Yogi Adityanath as chief minister his polarising and infl ammatory ogy as chief minister. choice but “it is evident that it Singh, Minister of State for Rail- Maurya, known to be har- As per the script, M Venkaiah of Uttar Pradesh, where it won a speeches against Muslims. “PM @narendramodi says de- wants to pursue a strong Hin- ways Manoj Sinha and BJP state bouring chief ministerial Naidu, the central observer, ini- landslide victory last week. Most recently, he lauded US velopment & growth is his pri- dutva line.” president Keshav Prasad Maurya ambitions, did not take the tiated the proceedings behind The BJP won an absolute ma- President Donald Trump’s travel mary agenda. Allowing Hindutva Communist Party of India had also been seen as contenders scheduled flight for Lucknow the closed doors of the conven- jority in the northern state, home ban that aimed to halt immi- hardliners to helm a major state (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat for the post of chief minister. yesterday and instead camped tion room at the new secretariat. to 220mn people and seen as a grants from a handful of Muslim- is a costly mistake,” said senior said: “The choice is a clear RSS Maurya however has been at the 66, North Avenue resi- Seven-time legislator Suresh bellwether of national politics, in majority countries from entering journalist Malini Parthasarathy agenda because they want to de- made one of the two deputy chief dence of Mathur. Khanna proposed the name of a massive vote of confi dence for America, saying India needed on Twitter as #YogiAdityanath velop Uttar Pradesh as the centre ministers - a fi rst in the state. Maurya, the man who was till Adityanath which was endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi similar action to check terrorism. became a top-trending topic in of Hindutva project.” The other is Dinesh Sharma. Thursday the front-runner, saw by the new legislators. halfway into his fi rst term. He has often fanned fl ames India. With last week’s clear win in Naidu said Adityanath - who his chances diminishing. His Sweets and rose-marigold gar- After an hours-long meeting over religious conversions, in- But the BJP, which won 312 the politically crucial state, the comes from the Rajput commu- supporters, meanwhile, took to lands followed as the name of the with local BJP legislators yes- ter-religion marriages and has of the total 403 seats in Uttar BJP hopes to boost Modi’s chanc- nity - wanted two other “senior the streets in Lucknow, raising new ‘Mahant’ was declared and a terday, senior party leader and reportedly been arrested and Pradesh, reassured Adityanath es for a second term in 2019 gen- leaders” to help him run the gov- slogans favouring Maurya. fl eet of cars left for the Raj Baha- federal minister M Venkaiah charged with several crimes in would work for development and eral elections but it was unclear ernment smoothly. Modi and Shah are learnt to man, a kilometre away to meet Naidu announced 44-year-old the past including rioting, at- anti-corruption. whether Adityanath’s appoint- BJP sources said this was done have conveyed their displeasure Governor Ram Naik and stake Yogi Adityanath as the next chief tempt to murder and trespassing “This is a watershed moment ment would help it get there or to balance caste aspirations since “at this public display of in- claim to government formation. minister. on burial places. in the history of BJP,” said Naidu, backfi re. now there is a Rajput as chief discipline and disregard” after And this brought an end to “Tomorrow Yogi Adityanath The rise of the Hindu priest- federal information & broadcast- Professor Sudha Pai, an expert minister and an MBC (most which both Mathur and Maurya the intense, intriguing and baf- will take oath as chief minister,” turned-politician in Uttar ing minister. on Uttar Pradesh politics at the backward class) and a Brahmin left for Lucknow. fling race for UP’s top job. Naidu said at a press conference Pradesh, a state prone to sectar- “The mandate is for devel- Jawaharlal Nehru University, said face as deputies. Trivendra Rawat takes over in Uttarakhand

IANS Incidentally, the majority tions, winning 57 of the 70 pracharak (campaigner) in the Dehradun of state cabinet members are seats. The Congress got 11. 1990s. leaders who moved from the Both Modi and Shah exuded He was made BJP general Congress to the BJP. confidence that the Rawat gov- secretary of an undivided Ut- haratiya Janata Party The cabinet ministers ernment will usher in develop- tar Pradesh in 1997 and was leader and long-time are Satpal Maharaj, Madan ment in the state. instrumental in building the B Rashtriya Swayamsevak Kaushik, Yashpal Arya, Harak “The new Uttarakhand gov- party cadre in Garhwal and Ku- Sangh (RSS) activist Trivendra Singh Rawat, Prakash Pant, Su- ernment will return the tre- maon regions of present-day Singh Rawat yesterday took bodh Uniyal and Praveen Pan- mendous affection shown by Uttarakhand that was formed over as the ninth chief minister dey. the state’s people with record in 2000. of Uttarakhand. Dhan Singh Rawat and Rekha development,” said Modi. Rawat had his share of con- Rawat, 56, along with nine Arya are ministers of state. “I firmly believe this BJP troversies in government and ministers - seven of cabinet While Harak Singh Rawat, government will take the pro- politics. He was named in the rank and two ministers of state Yashpal Arya, Subodh Uniyal people policies of the Modi multi-million rupee “seed - was administered the oath and Rekha Arya joined the BJP government to every door in the scam” in the agriculture de- of office by Governor Krishna before the February 15 assem- state and set up new standards partment. Kant Paul here in the presence bly elections, Satpal Maharaj in progress and development of Elected from Doiwala seat by of Prime Minister Narendra joined the party in 2014. Trivendra Singh Rawat the state,” said Shah. over 24,000 votes against Con- Modi and BJP president Amit Trivendra Rawat is the fifth With a postgraduate degree gress rival Hira Singh Bisht, the Shah. BJP chief minister of the hill BJP government in Uttara- in history and a diploma in new chief minister is widely Federal ministers Rajnath state after it was carved out of khand. journalism, Rawat joined the regarded in the party for his or- Singh, J P Nadda and Uma Uttar Pradesh in 2000. He was elected leader of the RSS as a 19-year-old student ganisational skills. Bharti, and former Congress A former associate of Modi, BJP legislature party on Friday in 1979. He steadily rose up The party formed its first chief minister Harish Rawat Trivendra Rawat was agricul- after the party won a landslide the ranks. Before heading its government in the state in 2000 were also present. ture minister in the previous majority in the assembly elec- Dehradun unit he served as a under Nityanand Swami. Gulf Times 28 Sunday, March 19, 2017 LATIN AMERICA

Cousin of Macri sells Thunderstorm over the Atacama fi rm to avoid confl icts

Reuters lombian airline Avianca Hold- Buenos Aires ings SA until it could fi nalise new rules governing business confl icts of interest. rgentine business- That came after a federal man Angel Calcaterra, prosecutor asked a judge for Aa cousin of President permission to investigate Macri Mauricio Macri, sold his con- over allegations he favoured the struction company to avoid any airline in a plan to open more confl icts of interest, a spokes- routes. man for the company told Reu- A company owned by his ters on Friday. father, Franco Macri, one of Calcaterra’s Iecsa construc- Argentina’s richest men, sold tion company was bought by another airline to Avianca last a group of investors who own year. Pampa Energia SA, one of Ar- Last month the president gentina’s main electricity com- was criticised over a deal his panies. government reached to resolve In a statement sent to jour- a 15-year-old debt the postal nalists, the company’s new service incurred when it was board said the company would owned by Franco Macri, with be renamed Strategic Con- prosecutors claiming the deal struction and Development benefi ted his family. Group of Argentina, or Sacde Calcaterra sold Iecsa, which by its Spanish acronym. had bid on government con- The move comes as Macri’s tracts, “to avoid any more pos- government is taking steps to sible confl icts of interest”, the prevent further complaints company spokesman said. about the fi rst-term leader’s Macri’s government is ex- business ties. pected to launch billions of Earlier this month, the ad- dollars in public works con- ministration delayed approving tracts this year as part of a ma- the local market entry of Co- jor infrastructure push.

Lightnings strike during a thunderstorm at the Atacama Desert, in Copiapo, Chile. Seven killed in Peru landslide

DPA ter to dry ground. Lima “The magnitude of the emergency and the number of Brazilian meatpackers places [where there are peo- t least seven people ple stranded] are so numerous were killed Friday in that sometimes it seems that Aa landslide in north- there are not enough troops, ern Peru, which has suff ered but we are making the eff ort,” months of widespread fl ood- said Interior Minister Carlos ing and heavy rains. Basombrio. in PR drive after raids The victims were in several Television broadcasters re- vehicles waiting for the road to ported several stranded people Brazil’s huge meat industry is of its employees were targeted in pert at the University of Sao be cleared in Rayampampa in risked their lives to evacuate at stake the probe, but its senior execu- Paulo, said other countries may La Libertad department, RPP their destroyed homes or reach tives and headquarters were not be eager to block Brazilian exports radio reported. their workplaces. Reuters targeted. in the fi ercely competitive protein The worst fl ooding in Peru “We have no place to go. We Rio De Janeiro The company said it followed market. in decades has left 62 dead and do not even have clothes,” a rigorous quality standards and “But the impact will not be as aff ected half a million people woman whose house was bur- sanitary regulations. big as it would be if another coun- since December, according to a ied under rocks and mud told eat companies JBS SA BRF also said it followed in- try had discovered this problem,” Civil Defence report. Canal N during a live broad- and BRF SA took out dustry regulations and was co- he said. “It is Brazil itself that is Hundreds of residents of the cast. Mfull-page advertise- operating with authorities in the revealing this.” capital Lima were trapped by Peru’s National Meteoro- ments in Brazilian newspapers investigation. United States food safety body fl oodwaters Friday and were logical and Hydrology Service yesterday in eff orts to burnish Court documents cited record- FSIS said it was in contact with unable to leave their homes, warned of more fl ooding in their image a day after police ings of BRF director Andre Luiz Brazil’s government and monitor- with police, armed forces and Lima, with heavy rains aggra- conducted a series of raids inves- Baldissera allegedly discussing ing the situation. fi refi ghters struggling to free vated by a coastal El Nino cli- tigating bribes at meatpacking on March 13 how health offi cials It said food supply in the US them. mate system. facilities. could help defend the company was safe due to a re-inspection Rescue workers worked The emergency in Lima Police said the raids, which People detained during the probe known as Operation Weak Flesh after inspectors in Italy found system applied to all imported starting in the early morning began Wednesday, when the threaten an industry with $12bn are escorted by the police as they leave the Institute of Forensic Sci- traces of salmonella in four con- meats. to install ropes and impro- Huaycoloro, Rimac, Lurin in annual exports, were prompted ence in Curitiba, Brazil. tainers shipped from a plant in The food industry investigation vised bridges with wooden and Chillon rivers overfl owed, by evidence that some meatpack- Goiás state in central Brazil. is the latest in a string of corrup- planks so victims, including fl ooding and causing serious ers had paid inspectors and poli- Monday. The company did not re- tors and politicians to overlook The ruling by federal judge tion probes in Brazil, as a tougher infants and the elderly, could damage in several parts of the ticians to overlook the processing spond to a Reuters request about unsanitary practices such as Marcos Silva also included tran- judiciary takes on cozy relations cross rushing streams of wa- city. of rotten meat and exports with the cost of the campaign. processing rotten meat and ship- scripts of BRF government rela- between the government and fraudulent documentation and BRF, for its part, ran ads ad- ping exports with traces of sal- tions executive Roney Nogueira powerful businesses, backed by even traces of salmonella. dressing “the millions of con- monella, police said. allegedly discussing bribery of public outrage during a deep eco- Facing a crisis that even Bra- sumers whose confi dence we Police investigator Mauricio health inspectors, including one nomic s8lump. zil’s government said threatens its have earned”, vowing to adhere to Moscardi Grillo said there was called on to help avoid the closure After investigations into po- reputation as one of the world’s the principles of “truth, respect, evidence of some companies ma- of the same Goiás plant. litical kickbacks on public works Haiti cholera fund biggest exporters of meat prod- quality and transparency”. nipulating certifi cates for meat The judge also ordered that BRF and oil and gas contracts, Friday’s ucts, JBS and BRF launched a Offi cials at BRF did not imme- exports to European markets, Vice President José Roberto Per- probe struck at the heart of the public relations off ensive to de- diately respond to requests about raising the risk of foreign restric- nomian Rodrigues be brought in booming agricultural sector, one falls short despite aid fend the integrity of their prac- the details of its campaign. tions on Brazil’s powerhouse pro- for questioning. of the few bright spots in Brazil’s tices. Investors on Friday hammered tein industry. Baldissera, Nogueira and Ro- economy and a major source of “Quality is the foremost prior- shares of both companies after “We’ve never seen a scandal drigues could not be reached for exports. AFP Britain was the only coun- ity of JBS and its brands,” read an news of the raids. like this in the sector... comment. Police said there was evidence United Nations try to come forward, pledging advertisement by JBS, the world’s JBS plunged 11%, while BRF It’s horrifying,” said Alex Silva, Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry that meatpackers falsifi ed docu- $622,000. That amount will largest meat producer, in pub- fell 7% at the Sao Paulo stock ex- a livestock analyst with Scot Con- temporarily closed three plants mentation for exports to Europe, be added to earlier contribu- lications that included the ma- change. sultoria. “This stains the entire cited in the investigation, one run China and the Middle East. new appeal by UN Sec- tions to the UN fund from jor dailies of São Paulo and Rio In their advertisements, and in system that Brazil has spent years by BRF and two run by smaller Judge Silva wrote in his ruling retary-General Antonio South Korea, France, Liechten- de Janeiro, plus the weekly news communiques following the raids, building.” rival Grupo Peccin, and began re- that employees of some meat- AGuterres for funding to stein, India and Chile — total- magazine Veja. both companies denied system- Brazil exported $6.9bn of poul- moving their meat products from packers, including BRF, arranged help Haiti’s cholera victims has ling about $2mn. Canada and In ten bullet points under- atic fraud or abuse within their try and $5.5bn of beef last year, supermarkets. bribes and favours for inspectors fallen short, with only Britain Japan have separately granted neath, the company touted its operations and condemned any according to industry groups, as Eumar Novacki, the ministry’s ranging from political donations responding to the call, UN of- about $7mn to help Haiti. The role as an exporter to more than wrongdoing that may be uncov- producers ramped up shipments executive secretary, said there and favourable bank loans to small fi cials said Friday. United Nations is hoping to 150 countries and the certifi cates ered by the probe. to China and started sending fresh was some concern that other bribes including hams and other With only 2% of the needed raise $400mn over two years earned and audits passed at facili- Brazilian police raided the beef to the United States. countries would begin blocking meat products. $400mn raised, Guterres had to reduce the current cholera ties throughout Brazil. premises of global meatpacking Police said they arrested three shipments of Brazilian meat. In some cases, those inspectors written to all member-states caseload of 30,000 to 10,000 In an e-mail, a JBS spokes- companies JBS SA and BRF SA on BRF employees and two from JBS Agriculture Minister Blairo would then allow employees of last month to appeal for aid to by the end of 2018 and provide woman said the advertisements, Friday. in Friday’s raids, as well as 20 Maggi will meet on Monday with the meatpackers to enter govern- Haiti, where more than 9,000 clean water and sanitation. which also include radio and tel- The probe, known as Opera- public offi cials. foreign ambassadors to allay con- ment offi ces, access computers people died of cholera in a 2010 Only 25% of Haitians have ac- evision spots, would run across 27 tion Weak Flesh, found evidence JBS said in a securities fi ling cerns. and issue their own export cer- epidemic. cess to toilets. diff erent media outlets through of meatpackers bribing inspec- that three of its plants and one Sergio De Zen, a livestock ex- tifi cates, investigators said. Venezuela has a ‘let them eat cake’ moment

AFP cheap, subsidised bread. A video posted online by the authori- ponents blame the failure of 18 years of Vice President Tareck El Aissami ac- at a bakery on the east side of Caracas. Caracas Maduro, whose popularity has ties shows chief inspector Williams socialist “revolution” under Maduro cused bakeries of fl outing that regula- Even with subsidised fl our, bakers plummeted amid a crushing three-year Contreras leading one bakery sting. and Chavez. tion by making too many cakes. say the offi cial bread price — currently recession, has dispatched the army, po- “There are going to be some arrests The crisis has left the country torn It was a moment reminiscent of 250 bolivars a loaf (35 US cents, at the fter living through shortages lice and uniformed civilian militias to here,” he said, after fi nding a sign out- between die-hard “Chavistas” and Marie-Antoinette’s apocryphal quote, highest offi cial exchange rate) — does of water, electricity, medicine, escort offi cials from the National Su- side reading “No bread until further an increasingly outraged majority no “Let them eat cake” — which the queen not cover the cost of production. Abanknotes and beer, Venezue- perintendency for the Defence of So- notice.” longer willing to forgive the social- is held to have said of the breadless, Black-market bread on the street lans are now struggling to fi nd one of cioeconomic Rights in a wave of bakery “They had 100 sacks of fl our, but- ists’ excesses in return for government starving peasantry on the eve of the goes for 900 bolivars. Bakers are in- the most basic foodstuff s of all, un- inspections. ter, sugar — all the essential ingredients handouts. French Revolution. The Venezuelan creasingly nervous. leashing what President Nicolas Ma- “They are hiding the bread from the inside,” he said triumphantly as police The government heavily subsidises Federation of Bread Manufacturers says Mario, a bakery manager in the Catia duro has dubbed the Bread War. people,” the president said Sunday on arrested the bakery’s managers. imports of basic food products such as cake is not the problem. neighbourhood of Caracas, said in- Bread has become all but impossible his weekly TV programme, vowing to Home to the world’s largest oil re- fl our via an artifi cially high exchange According to the industry group, spectors came to visit him last week to fi nd at many Venezuelan bakeries, crack down on greedy bakers. serves, Venezuela has skidded to the rate. Venezuela’s 8,000 bakeries are receiv- and threatened to arrest him. which say Maduro’s socialist govern- “They are going to pay for this, I brink of economic collapse as low crude But plummeting oil revenues mean ing just 30,000 tonnes of fl our a month, Luckily, fresh loaves of bread came ment is not importing enough fl our for swear. Those responsible for the Bread prices have laid bare its overwhelming the dollars needed to keep the scheme when they need four times that to meet out of the oven just in time, he said. them to make it. War will pay. And don’t go around call- dependence on its chief export. going are in short supply. demand. “People don’t have fl our, rice or Not so, insists the moustachioed heir ing it ‘political persecution.’” Maduro, who was elected to suc- Bakeries allowed to buy subsidised “When there’s fl our, we sell bread. corn fl our at home, so they have to buy to the late Hugo Chavez, who accuses This week the authorities arrested ceed Chavez in 2013 and is fi ghting ef- fl our are supposed to use 90% of it for But they deliver it every 15 or 20 days. bread. bakeries of hoarding fl our to destabi- four people in the crackdown and con- forts to force him from power, blames bread and only 10% in cakes and pas- They give us 20 sacks (of 50kg). In nor- But bakeries aren’t getting enough lise his government and using it in ex- fi scated two bakeries accused of charg- the crisis on an “economic war” by tries. mal circumstances, we’d use eight a fl our,” he said. pensive cakes and pastries rather than ing more than the offi cial bread price. US-backed business interests. His op- On Sunday’s presidential TV show, day,” said Fran Suero, 41, an employee Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 29 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN India returns Waiting for customers to Indus water treaty talks

Internews However, it could be held any- It called upon the World Bank to Islamabad time on the request of the either constitute a court of arbitration side. to adjudicate on the issues raised Offi cials in the offi ce of India’s by Pakistan against India’s on- akistan and India are set Indus Waters Commissioner going construction of the two to resume stalled water- PK Saxena confi rmed that “the projects. Psharing talks later this commissioner is busy preparing Under the IWT, it is the re- month under a 1960 treaty that for talks scheduled for a few days sponsibility of the World Bank the Indian prime minister had later in Lahore”. to play its role without further threatened to scrap blaming Is- A staff er at Saxena’s offi ce delay. lamabad of promoting terrorism said, “You should talk to water Meanwhile, Indian authori- in the region. and power secretary Amarjeet ties said that New Delhi has ex- Late last year, Narendra Modi Singh to get the offi cial version pedited work on six hydropower had threatened to scrap the In- on the issue.” projects in Occupied Kashmir dus Waters Treaty (IWT) in an that will cost more than $15bn. attempt to ratchet up pressure “You should talk to water A senior offi cial of the Indian on Pakistan after accusing the and power secretary ministry of power, Pardap Ku- country of being behind a deadly Amarjeet Singh to get the mar Pujari, said that the projects A man looks out from his shop at an automobile spare parts market in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. militant attack on a military base offi cial version on the were not purely meant for pro- in Uri, in the disputed Himalay- issue” ducing electricity. an state of Kashmir. He said they are also connect- The annual meeting of the However, Singh did not take ed to important issues of defence MEDIA permanent Indus Waters Com- any questions when contacted. and border management. mission will be held in Lahore on Pakistan’s Indus Waters Com- He said money is allocated Govt preparing March 20 and 21, the BBC Urdu missioner Asif Baig Mirza, while only after all these concerns Pakistan all set to establish bill for protection reported. confi rming the forthcoming have been taken into account. The meeting originally sched- meeting to the BBC, said the last Pakistan’s Indus Water Com- of journalists uled for September last year had meeting had been held between missioner Asif Baig said he been postponed after New Delhi the two countries in May 2015. would ask his Indian counterpart Climate Change Council The Pakistani government is pre- pulled out of talks while blaming The March meeting is impor- for details of the projects during paring a bill for the protection and Pakistan for the Uri assault. tant because as it recognises that the talks. welfare of journalists in the coun- Delegations from Pakistan the IWT is intact despite aggres- Foreign Offi ce spokesperson Internews related to climate change adap- Under the Act, the Pakistan try, a top minister announced. and India, led by their respective sive statements by the Indian Nafees Zakaria as saying, “It Islamabad tation and mitigation. Climate Change Authority will Minister of State for Information Indus waters commissioners, prime minister. seems that India has realised the Under the Act, the Pakistan be established to implement and Broadcasting Marriyum would attend the meeting. Pakistan has raised objec- importance of the Indus Waters Climate Change Council (PCCC) the government’s policies on Aurangzeb made the remarks The IWT makes it manda- tions over the construction of Treaty and, therefore, she has fter the passage of the will be established with the prime climate change. on Friday while addressing a tory for the two countries to hold the Kishanganga (300MW) and decided to come back to the ta- Pakistan Climate Change minister as its head and chief min- The authority will also help delegation from the Pakistan talks at least once a year. Ratle hydro projects (850MW). ble of talks.” ABill by the Senate (the isters and environment and cli- provinces and other federat- Federal Union of Journalists and upper house), the stage is set for mate change federal and provin- ing units to implement climate Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of the establishment of a dedicated cial ministers as its members. change policies and initiatives Journalists here. organisational apparatus to deal through mutual consultations. “Democracy and media freedom with climate change-related is- The offi cials said Pakistan The offi cials said Pakistan was go hand-in-hand and the inde- sues in the country. was ranked seventh among ranked seventh among the coun- pendent media not only performs Water levels in two Pakistani The National Assembly the countries most aff ected tries most aff ected by and vul- the functions of informing public has already approved the bill by and vulnerable to nerable to climate change disas- but also empowers all members drafted by the Senator Zahid climate change disasters ters in spite of being ranked 135th of the society by enhancing and Hamid-led climate change in spite of being ranked among the countries in global nurturing democratic values,” dams at lowest points in decade ministry. 135th among the countries greenhouse gases contribution. Dawn news quoted the minister After the passage of the bill, in global greenhouse gases They said the country faced as saying. Pakistan has become one of the contribution many adverse climate change Internews feet which in 2008 was recorded Meanwhile, the Indus River very few countries in the world impacts in the form of fl oods, OFFENSIVE Islamabad 1,050 feet. Meanwhile in Tarbela System Authority (Irsa) has con- to not only have a dedicated cli- They said the council would glacier melting, droughts, heat Dam, the water level in 2008 was vened its advisory committee mate change ministries but also have 30 other members and 20 of waves, sea intrusion and most 63 militants killed recorded 1,369 feet and current- meeting on March 31 to discuss its associated institutions. them would be non-offi cial ones, recently smog. in Afghanistan he water levels in two ma- ly it is 1,380 feet. issues pertaining to water avail- According to the relevant including representatives of com- The offi cials said the Climate jor reservoirs of Pakistan ability and distribution for the offi cials, the Pakistan Climate merce and industry, scientists, Change Act would help tackle At least 63 militants were killed Tare reaching their lowest “Good showers that could upcoming Kharif season which Change Act 2016 is meant to researchers, technical experts, climate change issues in the over the last week in airstrikes points in a decade while ‘good help increase water levels starts from April 1. tackle the challenges of climate educationists, representatives of country and allow the country conducted by the Afghan police showers’ are not expected during in the two major reservoirs Irsa spokesman Khalid Rana change and secure global fund- non-governmental organisations to access global climate fi nance against armed groups in the the next two weeks to improve are not expected during the said the meeting is going to be ing for implementing projects working on climate change. more vigorously. eastern Nangarhar province of these levels. next two weeks” chaired by the Irsa chairman and Afghanistan. The provincial police Since March 10, both the res- will be attended by the high of- chief General Abdul Rahman ervoirs — Mangla Dam and Ter- Pakistan Meteorological De- fi cials of Wapda, provincial ir- Pakistan to display military might on March 23 Rahimi told reporters that the bela Dam — have been operating partment (PMD) chief Dr Ghu- rigation department, the Federal militants were killed in parts of at the dead level. lam Rasul said, “Good showers Flood Commission and others. The Pakistan Army on Friday “Preparations for March 23 Special Force’s contingents and Nangarhar. He said at least ten Experts believe that the current that could help increase water To a question about the cur- said it was preparing for March Parade are in full swing at Turkish Jannisary Military band militants were also wounded dur- water levels in the reservoirs are levels in the two major reservoirs rent water situation in the res- 23 — Pakistan Day parade — to Shakarparian parade ground (Mehteran)”. The ISPR said ing the same operations and at likely to trigger a slight increase in are not expected during the next ervoirs and its impact on the display its military might in Islamabad,” said a statement is- Chief of South African National least 30 people were arrested on load shedding across the country two weeks.” early Kharif crop, he said, “It is Islamabad. sued by the Inter-Services Public Defence Force General Solly various charges during the same and may also have an impact on Commenting on the current a bit early to comment on this The day marks the passing of Relations (ISPR), media wing of Zacharia will also witness the period. The militants were killed the early Kharif crop. water situation in the dams, he and saying something a bit ear- the Lahore Resolution, when a the Pakistan army. parade among other dignitaries. or wounded during the nine clear- According to an analysis of the said in the past such situation lier could create panic among the separate nation for the Muslims “Special feature of the parade Pakistani armed forces display ance operations, he said, adding nine-year data, in the year 2017 arose in the country especially farmers.” He said from March 20 of British Indian Empire was this year will be participation of nuclear-capable weapons, tanks, that the security forces confiscat- the water level in Mangla Dam as when it experienced a prolonged onward Irsa will start analysing demanded on March 23, 1940 in Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) jets, drones and other weapons ed 108 bundles of explosives wires on March 17 was recorded 1,049 drought-like situation in 2008. the situation. Lahore. China’s Tri Services and Saudi systems. and 4,300 explosives chargers. ‘Billion tree tsunami’ surges across Pakistan

Reuters About 40% of the country’s chase agreement from the pro- the project’s website, which in- steps have forced the timber ma- Islamabad remaining forests are in Khyber vincial government. cludes GPS co-ordinates of all fi a on to the back foot and deliv- Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Such small nurseries can earn the plantations and a live tree ered a clear political message of where Khan’s tree planting eff ort incomes of around Rs12,000 to counter. ‘zero tolerance’ to the illicit cut- ne of Pakistan’s green- is expected to hit its billion-tree 15,000 ($115-$140) a month, a “This is a project for the future ting of wood.” est provinces is becom- goal by the end of 2017. sizeable income for rural villag- of Pakistan and something I keep The project has been recog- Oing greener still: In just a In preparation for the refor- ers, said Aslam. very close to my heart. nised by the Bonn Challenge, year it has added three-quarters estation eff ort, the provincial An estimated 500,000 “green It is not only helping KP by a global partnership aiming to of a billion new trees, as part of a government helped set up a jobs” have been created through providing a green, breathable restore 150mn hectares of the “tree tsunami” aimed at revers- network of tree nurseries across the eff ort, some of which have environment and green jobs but world’s deforested and degraded ing worsening forest loss. the province in 2016, providing gone to rural women and unem- is also building up Pakistan’s lands by 2020. “The success on the ground loans and purchase agreements ployed youth, he said. much needed defence against The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is phenomenal. This is not just for tree saplings. “People have become aware the high climate vulnerabil- government — the only prov- about planting trees but about Altogether it has spent Rs11bn that forests are KP’s precious re- ity that it faces,” the cricketer- ince to register under the Bonn changing attitudes,” said Rab on the eff ort, said Malik Amin source,” he added. turned-politician told the Tho- Challenge, Pakistani offi cials Nawaz, senior director of pro- Aslam, the chairman of the Aslam said the regeneration mas Reuters Foundation. said — has committed to restore grammes for WWF-Pakistan, province’s Green Growth Initia- eff ort is being monitored by both As well, “it signifi cantly con- 380,000 hectares of forests and which has helped audit the tree- tive. the provincial forest department tributes to the global eff orts for has already achieved nearly 80 % planting eff ort. About 13,000 government and WWF-Pakistan, working as sequestering carbon and miti- of that goal, Aslam said. The “Billion Tree Tsunami”, and private nurseries, in almost an auditor. gating climate change”, Khan The Bonn challenge website which involves adding trees every district of the province, Nawaz, of WWF, said he had said. estimates an economic ben- both by planting and natu- are now producing hundreds of just returned from three days To protect its forests, Khan’s efit of the reforestation effort ral regeneration, is backed by thousands of saplings of local looking at 2.5mn new trees in the provincial government has also at $121mn for the province, in cricketing legend Imran Khan’s and imported tree varieties, in- province. enforced a complete ban on the terms of carbon sequestration, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) cluding pines, walnuts and eu- He called the restoration “an cutting and felling of trees in re- better watershed improvement party, which governs in Khyber calyptus, Aslam told the Thom- amazing achievement” by the served forests. and future sustainable wood Pakhtunkhwa province, in Paki- son Reuters Foundation. government’s forest department The government says the ac- supplies. stan’s northwest. The nurseries have provided and by local communities who tivities of the powerful “tim- The project has proven so It aims to turn around de- about 40% of the new trees in are paid to plant trees. ber mafi a” have been curtailed popular that the federal govern- forestation and increase the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; the re- “Whether you support PTI through dismantling more than ment of Pakistan, led by Prime province’s forested area by at maining trees have come from (Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party) 600 illegal sawmills and ar- Minister Nawaz Sharif’s oppos- least 2%. Years of tree felling natural regeneration in forests or not, no one can deny that this resting more than 300 timber ing Pakistan Muslim League (N) have reduced Pakistan’s forests now put under protection, he is an environmental, economic cutters, as well as issuing heavy party, has now begun imple- to under 2% of its land area, said. and social success for other fi nes. menting its own “Green Paki- one of the lowest levels in the Many small-scale nurseries, provinces to follow,” he said. “Two of our forest guards have stan Programme”. The aim of the region, according to a 2015 UN producing up to 25,000 saplings, The project is being moni- been killed in timber encounters programme is to plant 100mn Food and Agriculture Organi- have been set up with cash ad- tored using modern technology. while many have braved inju- trees all over the country over The ‘Billion Tree Tsunami’ programme is backed by cricketing legend sation report. vances and a guaranteed pur- Last week Khan launched ries,” Aslam said. “All of these the next fi ve years. Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party. Gulf Times 30 Sunday, March 19, 2017 PHILIPPINES

Grand welcome for Chinese leader Speaker threatens to impeach Robredo By Llanesca T Panti is happening to our country,” Manila Times he added. Alvarez also claimed the vice president was afraid of a recount of the votes for the ouse Speaker Pantaleon vice presidential race and in Alvarez has threatened losing her post in the process. Hto fi le an impeach- Robredo beat former senator China’s Vice Premier Wang Yang (centre) waves to Filipino elementary students during a visit to Fort Santigao in Intramuros, Manila. ment complaint against Vice Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos President Maria Leonor “Leni” Jr by 263,473 votes in the May Robredo for undermining the 2016 polls. Marcos has a pending administration of President Ro- protest versus Robredo’s victory drigo Duterte before the interna- before the Presidential Electoral tional community. Tribunal. The threat came on the same Robredo’s camp refuted Al- day Alvarez and presiden- varez’s claims, saying the vice Australia pledges $40mn tial spokesman Ernesto Abella president does not want to in- claimed Robredo could be be- Robredo: impeachment warning volve herself in any impeach- hind Thursday’s fi ling of an im- ment bid. “What the Speaker peachment complaint against form and substance before it is said is false, and the vice presi- Duterte, by arguing that she subjected to plenary debate. dent and the public knows that. aid for Mindanao projects would benefi t from the presi- At least 98 or a third of the Even Representative Alejano said dent’s ouster. House members would need to that it was Magdalo group who The Davao Del Norte lawmak- vote in favour of the impeach- is behind the impeachment and By Catherine S Valente follow, also brought up the top- er and Malacanang also scored ment complaint to force the re- the vice president has nothing to Manila Times ic of responsible mining. Robredo’s video message before spondent before the Senate im- do with it,” Georgina Hernandez, “(Duterte) expressed the a United Nations meeting on il- peachment court. spokeswoman for Robredo, said Philippines’ interest in learning legal drugs in Vienna, Austria on Reacting to Alvarez’s threat, in a television interview. alacanang has said the responsible mining from Aus- March 16, where the vice presi- Rep. Gary Alejano of Magdalo Hernandez also dismissed Australian govern- tralia, citing that country’s ex- dent spoke out against Duterte’s party-list, who fi led the im- the claims of the president’s al- Mment had committed perience and expertise,” Abella anti-drug war and the so-called peachment complaint against lies, led by Presidential Legal to continue its development said. Bishop responded by say- “palit-ulo” scheme, wherein Duterte, said: “That is Speaker Counsel Salvador Panelo, that assistance to the Philippines, ing that the Australian govern- the police would take a member Alvarez’s way of defl ecting the Robredo shamed the country by saying that $40mn in fresh aid ment was “willing to co-op- of the family of a drug suspect issue away from Duterte and raising the issue of the bloody would be specifi cally focused erate in building capacities for without a warrant if the suspect cover his crimes in the bloody war on drugs before the United on projects for Mindanao. responsibility in mineral and didn’t want to surrender. war on drugs.” Nations. This came after Australian energy resources,” he said. Alvarez claimed Robredo had “Filing an impeachment “The victims of the war on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop Abella said Bishop also ex- betrayed public trust by malign- against (Robredo) because of her drugs have sought the help of the met with President Rodrigo pressed Australia’s support for ing the Duterte government. speech before the UN is clear Offi ce of the Vice President over Duterte in Davao City, where the Philippines’ Asean chair- “I am studying it (fi ling an im- indication that this administra- their plight because they fear the they talked about the Mindanao manship and the country’s ef- peachment versus Robredo). If tion does not accept criticisms, a police, and we have asked the De- peace process, terrorism, and forts to further strengthen the I fi nd enough evidence to pros- mark of a dictator,” he added. partment of the Interior and Local responsible mining. regional bloc. Bishop also met ecute here, we have to see if it Alejano says Duterte should Government and the Philippine In a statement, presidential acting Foreign Aff airs Secre- can stand trial before the Senate be ousted for the killing of 7,000 National Police to respond to such spokesman Ernesto Abella said tary Enrique Manalo, and the (impeachment court),” Alvarez drug suspects, the Davao Death claims of the victims way back on Duterte and Bishop, during two said they looked forward to said in an interview over CNN Squad’s execution of 1,400 indi- January 24. Our offi ce, however, is their “warm and cordial” meet- convening the 5th Philippines- Philippines. viduals when Duterte was Davao yet to receive any response,” Her- ing, expressed willingness to Australia Ministerial Meeting “In my lifetime, this is only City mayor, hiding wealth of nandez pointed out. co-operate against terrorism, a possibly in December 2017, and time that a high-ranking gov- as much as P2.2bn, and hiring “What we are just saying here security threat to both the Phil- other bilateral mechanisms. ernment offi cial brazenly ma- 11,000 ghost employees at Dav- is for the administration to live up ippines and Australia. Both acknowledged the long- ligned our country before the ao City Hall. to its promise that they will inves- “Both underscored that ter- Australian Foreign Aff airs Minister Julie Bishop talks to a student from standing relations between the international community. What Earlier on Friday, Alvarez ac- tigate these extra-judicial killings; rorism and violent extremism the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) during a visit two countries, which reached will be its economic eff ects?” cused Robredo of seeking to im- rid the police ranks of corruption are serious threats, with both in Davao city, southern Philippines. 70 years in 2016. Alvarez added. peach the president, claiming and make the perpetrators of ex- expressing readiness to identify Manalo said the visit of An impeachment complaint the vice president was raring to tra-judicial killings accountable. areas of collaboration,” Abella legiance to the IS. To help bring Abella said Duterte and Bish- Bishop “is an affi rmation of needs an endorser from the oust Duterte. “Defi nitely, she’s This is not about shaming our said. about peace in Mindanao, op also agreed on the impor- Australia’s strong commitment ranks of House members for it to behind it (impeachment com- country. What the vice president The Islamic State (IS) has Abella said Australia pledged tance of securing freedom of to the Philippines as a compre- become a verifi ed impeachment plaint). Who else would benefi t said were facts, and the public called on its fi ghters to conduct $40mn over six years. “These navigation and safety at sea. hensive partner.” complaint. The majority of the from that?” Alvarez said. have known these facts for so long attacks in Australia and the are to go to aff ected areas in Duterte, who frequently cites Over 200,000 Filipinos live members of the House justice “It is so clear. She even made a because they were already raised Philippines. In Mindanao, some projects such as improved wa- Australian mining standards as and work in various profession- panel would have to vote that the video speech for the United Na- by various organisations ahead of terror groups have pledged al- ter facilities,” he said. ideal for Philippine miners to al fi elds in Australia. verifi ed complaint is suffi cient in tions, complaining about what us,” Hernandez added.

Troops kill 10 militants in air, Employers warn of job cuts over plan to ban contractualisation ground off ensives

By Catherine S Valente It supersedes Department Or- who have reached six months of Philippine troops have killed at Manila Times der 18-A, which allowed some service. “We are not singing the least 10 militants in two days forms of contractual arrange- Alleluia,” he added. of ground and air offensives ments and “endo” or end-of- The “ambiguities” include against their hideouts in a alacanang has vowed contract schemes. the order’s failure to defi ne southern province, an army to strictly implement The department order re- “only permissible contracting,” spokesman said yesterday. Ma ban on unlawful leased Thursday listed 11 “pro- Dee said. This, for example, A local bomber and a foreign contractualisation, as militant hibited” practices, includ- could put a furniture company leader of the regional terrorist workers stormed the Depart- ing contracting through an that outsources some of its pro- group Jemaah Islamiyah were ment of Labour and Employ- in-house agency and contract- duction in a quandary, he said. believed to have been among ment (DoLE) in Manila for issu- ing work that is also done by “Many people will lose jobs. those killed in the operation, but ing an order that did not prohibit regular employees. We are not making threats. It’s their identities were still being all forms of labour contracting. It also calls for the strict reg- simple common sense,” Dee confirmed, according to army In a statement, presiden- ulation of “legal” contracting said. A DoLE offi cial shrugged Captain Arvin Encinas. tial spokesman Ernesto Abella and subcontracting. off the statement of the em- Troops swooped down on lauded the new DoLE order that The DoLE shortened the ployers’ group, calling it an “old the hideouts belonging to the lays out stricter guidelines for validity of the registration of story.” Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom contractualisation as a “major contractors to two years from “As the saying goes, if you Fighters in two villages in the step” in ensuring that Filipino three years, and also increased don’t want to do it, you can come province of Maguindanao, 960 workers enjoy their rights. the registration fee to P100,000 up with a lot of reasons,” Labor kilometres south of Manila, he “The Department Order 174 from P25,000. Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said. The military also launched issued by the Department of La- The order states, citing the said. air strikes to support the bour and Employment (DoLE) Labour Code, that the secretary Olalia also said the department ground operation, he added. regulating the contracting and of Labour has no power to pro- was fi nalising the guidelines on Troops recovered and disabled subcontracting of employees hibit all forms of contractuali- deputising labour groups and five homemade bombs from is a fulfi lment of the campaign sation and fi xed-term employ- other organisations to help in as- the abandoned encampments promise of the president. This ment, and that the matter is a sessing the more than 90,000 es- of the militants, Encinas said. is a major step in upholding function of legislation. tablishments targeted for inspec- The Bangsamoro Islamic Free- and protecting the labour rights Still, members of the militant tion this year. dom Fighters is a breakaway of our great Filipino workers,” Kilusang Mayo Uno (May One Workers hold banners as they march towards the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) off ice for Under the guidelines, labour of the Moro Islamic Liberation Abella said. Movement) marched toward a rally in Manila. groups and some government and Front, the largest rebel group, The Palace offi cial assured the DoLE headquarters in In- non-government organisations, which signed a peace agree- workers “the government was tramuros, Manila to protest the ippines (ECOP) warned that the fects on the people would be felt Labour department order was including those in the medical in- ment with the government in working very hard to promote new order. Some of the rallyists new order would further burden within the coming days. fi lled with “ambiguities.” dustry, will be deputised to assist 2014. more humane conditions and tried to force open the door to small and medium enterprises, “The small and medium en- “The impact of the order is the DoLE in inspecting establish- The faction opposed the fair and just treatment of work- the DoLE building. and result in the loss of jobs. terprise businessmen will be af- immediate, because all compa- ments, he said. peace agreement, which aims ers in the workplace.” The group claimed the order In an interview over ABS- fected by the order. Jobs may be nies will stop the practice of hir- To ensure the eff ective im- to create a new autonomous Labour Secretary Silvestre would further legitimise con- CBN morning show “Umagang lost as they may not be able to ing workers for fi ve months,” he plementation of the guidelines, entity in the southern region of Bello signed on Thursday, the tractualisation, instead of end- Kay Ganda,” ECOP acting presi- sustain (the business),” he said. said, referring to short employ- Olalia said labour law compliance Mindanao, and is suspected to Department Order 174 that im- ing it. dent Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr said In a separate interview aired ment contracts that go around offi cers would still supervise the have linked up with local and poses a total ban on illicit forms Also on Friday, the Employ- that while the order might look over dzMM radio, Donald Dee, Labour Code provisions requir- assessment of the foreign terrorist groups. of employment arrangements. ers’ Confederation of the Phil- good before the media, its ef- also an ECOP offi cial, said the ing the regularisation of workers establishments. Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 31 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Mujib’s second autobiography published

A second autobiography of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Man carrying explosives Rahman, Karagarer Rojnamcha (Daily Diary Inside Prison), has been published. Bangla Academy published the 332-page book on Bangabandhu’s jail life in Bangla language on the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of the great leader. killed at Dhaka checkpost The book is available in Bangla Academy stalls with its price Reuters, AFP last year in which 22 people, being fixed at 400 taka. Dhaka including 18 foreign hostages, The book was handed over to his were killed. two daughters - Prime Minister The Bangladeshi govern- Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana angladesh police shot and ment, however, has said a new on Wednesday. killed a suspected mili- faction of homegrown extrem- Bangla Academy director general Btant who tried to cross a ist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Shamsuzzaman Khan formally security checkpoint on a mo- Bangladesh (JMB) was behind handed over a copy of the book torcycle armed with explosives that and other attacks. to them at a simple ceremony early yesterday, the latest in a Critics accuse Prime Min- at the prime minister’s off icial string of security threats since ister Sheikh Hasina’s secu- residence Ganobhaban. a deadly attack on a cafe in July. lar government of using the An academy statement said Bangladesh’s counter-ter- spate of attacks in the coun- the book is a vivid description rorism Rapid Action Battalion try to demonise her domestic of historical jail life of the (RAB) said some of its offi c- opponents. great leader from 1966 to 1968 ers opened fi re when a man Friday’s bomb attack was during the Pakistan regime. But riding a motorcycle tried to one of the fi rst in recent years this will not be the part of his break through a checkpoint in against the elite RAB force, first book Unfinished Memoirs. Dhaka’s Khilgaon area. which has led a nationwide It is a new book based on his “Several bombs were found crackdown on Islamist ex- dairy. attached to his body,” RAB’s le- tremists, arresting scores of It said Bangabandhu had used to gal and media wing chief Mufti suspects. write his daily political and other Mahmud Khan said, adding Police have this month also activities of his contemporary that an apparent suicide attack been carrying out a series of time and maintained the practice could have been foiled. raids in the southern Chit- even in his jail life. “As he was carrying explo- tagong region and say they “The Pakistan government sives we primarily suspect him killed four suspected mili- seized six dairies written by of being a militant,” Khan said, tants when they stormed an Bangabandhu when he was adding further investigation extremist hideout on Thursday. released from jail in December, was needed to ascertain his Former US Secretary of State 1969 and four of them were identity. John Kerry said last year there returned later. However, one of A bomb disposal unit re- was evidence to link extremists the two remaining diaries was covered the biker’s bag con- behind attacks in Bangladesh later recovered with the help taining multiple small impro- to IS. of the Special Branch of Police vised bombs, which were later “There is the ideological after Hasina’s government defused, Khan said. A Bangladeshi police bomb disposal unit tries to defuse explosives recovered from a foiled attacker in Dhaka yesterday. footprint of IS in Bangladesh, came to power in 2009,” it He said two offi cers were there is no denial about it,” said added. wounded in the incident but it State group claimed respon- ladesh carried out a martyrdom attack on Friday when a man Asked about IS’ claim of re- Shahab Enam Khan, a terror- Hasina, who wrote the preface was not clear how they got hurt. sibility for the suicide bomb operation with an explosive blew himself up at an elite forces sponsibility, RAB spokesman ism expert at Jahangirnagar of the book, announced in the The latest incident came a attack. belt in a camp for special forces camp near Dhaka’s international Mufti Mahmud Khan said: “IS University. book unveiling ceremony that day after a suicide bomber blew The Bangladeshi government in Dhaka,” IS announced in its airport. has no presence in Bangladesh “However, we have not re- two more autobiographies of himself up at a security forces has repeatedly denied the pres- daily al-Bayan radio bulletin The camp attacked was occu- at all”. ceived enough evidence of their Bangabandhu – one on the base near the international air- ence of IS in the country, blam- yesterday. pied by the Rapid Action Battal- The Islamic State group physical existence in concrete Agartala conspiracy case and port in the South Asian nation’s ing attacks on local extremists. Two policemen were wound- ion (RAB), an elite force tasked claimed responsibility for a organisational form in the other on his China tour – will be capital, Dhaka. The Islamic “A caliphate soldier in Bang- ed in the apparently botched with combatting militancy. major attack on a Dhaka cafe country yet.” published soon. Lanka war survivors pin Marriage ceremony hopes on new land law

Thomson Reuters Foundation ter the war ended, hundreds of tion paid by the military for land Vavuniya smallholders are pinning their acquisitions,” he said. hopes on the newly-minted Over 10,000 acres of private Right to Information (RTI) Act land in the Northern Province or almost two decades, Si- to unearth details of who owns were held by the military, citing varaja Sivakumar has lived the land on which they live and continued security concerns af- Fon a plot of land in the work. ter the war ended in May 2009 north of Sri Lanka - but he has A Vavuniya-based youth when government forces defeat- no idea who owns it. group, the Association for ed Tamil separatists. According The 43-year-old father of two Friendship and Love (AFRIEL) to the Defence Ministry, so far from Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority has been spearheading a cam- 5,258 acres have been released to says he prays every day that he is paign to submit RTI requests their rightful owners. the rightful owner, but cannot be across Sri Lanka’s Northern “It is not only about the high sure. Province, seeking information security zones held by the mili- “I have no deed that says I am on government land holdings. tary, there are lots of other con- the owner, I have never had such By mid-March, a month after fusions ... because for three a deed,” he said. the law was passed, more than decades instead of holding onto In 1998, the young Sivaku- 1,000 RTI requests had been land, people ran for their lives,” mar fl ed the northern town of fi led by citizens seeking infor- De Silva said. Kilinochchi, the epicentre of Sri mation on land ownership and AFRIEL’s campaign was ini- Lanka’s 26-year civil war to Va- government acquisitions, said tially met with resistance from vuniya, 80km (50 miles) to the AFRIEL chairman, Ravidra De local government authorities Little girls from Newar community attend a Bel Bibaha (child marriage) ceremony in Kavre, on the outskirts of Kathmandu yesterday. south. Silva. who feigned ignorance of the Bel Bibaha, or Ihi, is a marriage ceremony in the Newar community of Nepal in which pre-adolescent girls are “married” to the bael fruit There, with the help of a para- “Before the act, all requests RTI Act. “We had to convince (wood apple). Normally Newar girls marry thrice in their life as first marriage with the fruit, second with sun and third with human. military group allied with gov- to government agencies on land them that the act was in fact law ernment forces, he was settled matters never got answered,” De and that there was no alternative on a small plot of land in the vil- Silva said while assisting villag- to accepting the applications.” lage of Nelukkulam, about 10km ers from Nelukkulam to submit De Silva said AFRIEL had now from the main town. applications. begun to receive some responses As the bloody confl ict escalat- “The RTI Act made it manda- from government agencies. “At ed, Sivakumar tried to formalise tory by law that government of- least three applications seeking in- Experts urge Nepal to join China initiative his ownership of the land. “I had fi cials answer these queries and formation on military land acquisi- some documents, and I submit- within a specifi c time frame.” tions have been answered,” he said. ted them to various government AFRIEL plans to help more The law has been welcomed IANS South Asia through building the Sangroula, said that Nepal will be The ambassador said that as bodies with no luck.” farmers submit their applica- by senior politicians as a step to- Kathmandu Belt and Road based on mutual the largest benefi ciary of the ini- many as 100 countries have ex- Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in tions. In Nelukkulam alone, De wards transparency in Sri Lanka, consultation and collaboration, tiative if it signs the co-operation pressed their intentions to sup- 2009, but the farmer still lacked Silva estimates there are 800 a drastic change from the past, Xinhua says. agreement with China. port and contribute to the Belt land titles. His predicament is families without proper land especially during the civil war, xperts have urged the The government should not Sundarnath Bhattarai, acting and Road initiative while over 50 common across the former com- documentation. when the government admin- Nepalese leadership to en- delay its participation in the chairman of China Study Center, countries and international or- bat zone, where civilians bore During the last two weeks of istration was obscured by bu- Esure country’s participa- Belt and Road initiative, Nepal’s said that Nepal’s participation in ganisations have signed co-op- the brunt of the fi ghting. March, AFRIEL will hold RTI reaucracy and secrecy. tion in the China-proposed Belt former ambassador to Russia the initiative will bring immense eration agreements with China Thousands of acres of land, camps in villages across the “It is like putting the govern- and Road initiative by signing a Hiranya Lal said. opportunities for the Himalayan for jointly building the Belt and some privately owned, are held Northern Province to answer ment inside a glass box,” media co-operation agreement with It is high time for the Nepalese country. Road. by government forces who set up questions and speed up the minister Gayantha Karunathi- the Chinese government as early leadership to seriously think and Delivering remarks as a special The initiative, proposed by security posts and buff er zones process. lake told reporters. as possible. make a decision, he said. guest of the conference, Chinese China in 2013, aims to build a during the war, while others are “We have also submitted RTI Sivakumar hopes the minis- Speaking at a one-day con- Highlighting various aspects ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong trade and infrastructure network held by other government agen- requests on military land hold- ter’s assessment is true, and he ference on the initiative, par- of the Belt and Road initiative, said that China hopes Nepal connecting Asia with Europe cies like the wildlife department. ings, land distributed by politi- will soon get clarity over who ticipants talked about shared executive director of the Kath- would become a member of the and Africa along the ancient Now, almost eight years af- cal parties and any compensa- owns his precious land. benefi ts to Nepal and China and mandu School of Law, Yubaraj Belt and Road initiative soon. trade routes. Dhaka, Moscow okay deal on spent fuel management

By Mizan Rahman sued by Russian contractor Ro- Bangladesh had earlier signed will provide $11.38bn as loan for will repatriate the spent fuel at an offi cial at the ministry, who poration (Rosatom) and Alexey Dhaka satom yesterday, both Dhaka and a number of agreements with the project, which is 90% of the its own arrangement. But after preferred not to be named. Ferapontov, deputy head of the Moscow signed the initial draft Russia to build a 2,400 megawatt project’s construction cost. the signing of some vital agree- “Now it’s not clear how much Federal Environmental, Indus- on March 15 in the Bangladesh (MW) nuclear power plant with Besides, Bangladesh paid $550 ments, Moscow was refusing to Bangladesh will have to pay Rus- trial and Nuclear Supervision angladesh and Russia have capital Dhaka. two units with each of 1,200MW to Rosatom for design and feasi- repatriate the spent fuel. sia for the job,” he added. Service of Russia (Rostekhnad- signed a draft agreement “The two sides agreed to pre- capacity in Rooppur at a cost of bility purpose. At one stage of negotiations Meanwhile, the Rosatom zor) was on a two-day visit to Bon spent fuel management pare the fi nal documents for for- about $12.65bn. Offi cials at the ministry of between the two sides, Moscow statement mentioned that a Dhaka to discuss various issues of Rooppur nuclear power plant mal signing at the earliest,” said the Russian nuclear agency Ro- science and technology ministry expressed interest to take back Russian delegation comprising relating to Rooppur nuclear (RNPP) project. statement. However, it did not pro- satom will work as the key con- said the Russian side had ini- spent fuel, but demanded exces- Nikolay Spassky, Deputy CEO plant construction with their According to a statement, is- vide any detail of the agreement. tractor for the project. Russia tially given an idea that Moscow sive extra cost for the job, said of State Atomic Energy Cor- Bangladesh counterpart. Gulf Times 32 Sunday, March 19, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah An epoch-making movement, Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko

P.O.Box 2888 but a sorry Chaudhry legacy Doha, Qatar [email protected] The Lawyers’ Movement Telephone 44350478 (news), aimed at the restorations 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) of an errantly sacked chief Fax 44350474 justice, not for a chief justice who became errant after restoration GULF TIMES By Kamran Rehmat Doha

his month marks a full decade since one of most Spotlight on currency momentous chapters were Twritten in Pakistan’s judicial history. It was a bright spring morning in the federal capital Islamabad; volatility, cyber crime March 13, 2007, to be precise. The stage was a commotion on a road in the famous Red Zone involving and climate change blue-uniformed, metal-grey painted helmet-wearing posse of policemen surrounding someone nearly invisible Threats posed by excess currency volatility have to watchers. been emphasised by the fi nance ministers and central An accidentally well-placed bankers of the top 20 global economies or G20 at their photojournalist managed to, in the split-second available to him, capture ongoing meeting in Germany. an image that changed the course of The G20 countries are expected to issue a fi nal contemporary Pakistani history. It communique reiterating that “excess volatility and showed a black suited moustachioed disorderly movements” in exchange rates can have captive being rudely shoved into a car, a police offi cer contemptuously “adverse implications” for economic and fi nancial clutching his short-cropped hair in stability. disdain. The United States has already said it would keep a The captive was the-then Chief close eye on the levels of key global currencies, but Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who had pursue policies in the interest of “economic growth refused to accept his sacking the previous day by the military dictator that is good for the US and the rest of the world. in power. When intercepted, he was on The fi nance ministers and central bankers of the G20 his way to the Supreme Court on foot FALLEN HERO: Iftikhar Chaudhry wrote a defining chapter in judicial history before succumbing to what is seen by many as countries are now meeting in the German spa town of as his car was taken away to prevent inflated ego. Baden Baden. him from attending offi ce. This was the photo that launched Council (SJC) against Chaudhry and competition among bar associations the privilege of sitting on the bench. Signals have already come out of Germany that they a thousand news reports on the attempted a forced resignation from and councils in various cities to host He had the better of a military dictator will refrain from competitive devaluations and will not hundreds of protests by the lawyers’ the latter by intimidating him through Chaudhry for whistle-stop speeches but extended his successful trophy target exchange rates for competitive purposes. community across Pakistan over the a show of uniformed force at the that turned into a living nightmare for hunt to a democratically elected prime Although the G20 countries have agreed on forex- next several months that snowballed President House. When he refused, Musharraf. minister (Yousuf Raza Gilani) when fi rst into a movement and then into Musharraf sacked Chaudhry and The beauty of this strategy was that he refused Chaudhry’s diktat to write related issues, they have not yet found a common a political resistance that eventually put him in detention. The picture- it was no longer possible for lawyers a letter to the Swiss authorities to ground on trade and resulted in the chief justice being worth-a-thousand-words triggered and their bar councils and associations reopen corruption cases against his fi nancing against reinstated, re-sacked and re- demonstrations, fi rst by the bar to sit on the fence anymore. president (Asif Zardari). It was seen Europe keen on climate change in reinstated and the general fi nally council and association in Islamabad For the many months that the as vengeance for Zardari’s refusal the face of President vacating his labyrinth. that within days spread to their Lawyers’ Movement remained active to reinstate Chaudhry as the top adding that trade The photo captured in breathtaking counterparts in the provincial capitals. heightening and hardening sentiments adjudicator upon assuming offi ce. Donald Trump’s simplicity the eternal quarrel of truth An otherwise neutralised political of solidarity against Musharraf and the The romance of the Lawyers’ should be “America First” with power – particularly in Pakistan’s opposition saw their big chance and doubled resolve after Chaudhry was, Movement soured not too late after policy and his context where the stakes are always enthusiastically joined the lawyers as an outcome of the November 2007 Chaudhry was back in the saddle. It is ‘rules-based’ scepticism towards high. in their attacks on the complacent State of Emergency, sacked again, the telling that the faces of the Lawyers’ While this photo is considered one arrogance of Musharraf who had battle-readiness of the lawyers was Movement – Aitzaz Ahsan, Asma climate change. of the prime triggers of the Lawyers’ overplayed his hand. The Rubicon down to the democratic nature of its Jahangir, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Tariq Reports suggest the diffi culty stems from a major Movement, looking back closely a was crossed when legal eagle Aitzaz community. Mehmood and Munir A Malik, all of shift in the views of the United States, where the new decade later provides a more nuanced Ahsan joined the sacked chief justice The Musharraf misadventure with whom have served as presidents of Trump administration is considering protectionist picture of the sentiment of the and infused a political strategy to the Chaudhry is the biggest case study bar associations – have become bitter campaign and its parental spontaneity. lawyers’ snowballing movement. of the Pakistani lawyers eventually critics of Chaudhry. They have been trade measures to curb imports and considers eff orts to And also how widespread it was and Aitzaz was aided in his political gelling together to dissolve their at pains distancing themselves from try to halt global warming a “waste of money”. what its objectives were even if they strategisation of the Lawyers’ ideological divides for a cause that a judge who struck at democracy US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said were, strictly speaking, not carved out Movement by a real-time visual morphed from the primary refl ex to with the same gusto that he exhibited in Germany at the weekend that the Trump before the Movement began but began media. While lawyers and politicians get Chaudhry restored to defence of defying a dictator – he sent the man administration had no desire to get into trade wars, but crystallising only when it became clear in Pakistan have a rich history of the independence of judiciary. who restored him (Gilani) home that neither the general nor the judge battling military dictators, this was But what remains their biggest and wants the man who forced his certain trade relationships need to be re-examined to would budge. the fi rst instance that reporting of a success story also paradoxically restoration (Sharif) ousted. make them fairer for US workers. It was only a matter of ‘when’ the resistance of this nature was being degenerated into a bitter legacy. The stalwarts of the Lawyers’ G20 offi cials said the United States was ready to Lawyers’ Movement would be birthed, beamed live into homes across the Once the Movement ended, ironies Movement have been editing the accept a phrase backing “free and fair” trade, given rather than ‘if’, after a bench headed country. proliferated. With Chaudhry back historical narratives articulating it, by the chief justice halted the-then Taking advantage of this, Aitzaz on the bench for a third time in two explaining that it was a movement for that the meaning of “fair” was open to interpretation. President General Pervez Musharraf’s employed his political acumen to years, he became the very nightmare the restoration of an errantly sacked Europe was keen on adding that trade should be advanced plans to privatise the create a near-continuous live TV the Movement birthed the fi ght for: chief justice, not for a chief justice “rules-based”, meaning subject to rules of the World Pakistan Steel Mills. coverage of the resistance by driving trouncing of power in the fi ght for who became errant after restoration. Trade Organisation (WTO). Stung by this, Musharraf sent a the sacked chief justice around in supremacy of law. He became the European delegations have also explicitly rejected reference to the Supreme Judicial view of the cameras. This triggered a most activist of judges who ever had zThe writer is Community Editor. protectionism. Recently, President Trump proposed to take the axe to environmental fi nancing, slashing funds in his fi rst national budget proposal for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by a third, as well as eliminate The return of industrial strategy contributions linked to the UN climate change programmes. Trump, who was elected to offi ce in November last By Paola Subacchi geographical, and sectoral imbalances. government’s own involvement in the For the UK, such an accounting cannot London Clearly, political leaders have learned economy. be decoupled from Brexit. In particular, year, has called global warming a “hoax” concocted some important lessons from history. While governments are right to UK leaders must identify which by China to hurt the US industry and vowed to scrap But serious problems remain. shy away from picking winners, they resources are tied to Europe’s single the earlier Paris climate accord aimed at curbing ndustrial policy is making a Europe’s governments seem to must remain active in other ways. market, how they can be replaced, and greenhouse gas emissions. comeback in many advanced think that they can implement ad Specifi cally, they must analyse which how long that process will take. At Baden Baden, the world’s biggest economies have economies. Dismissed out of hoc policies that strengthen their sectors and industries are more likely The fi nal critical element of an also pledged to “jointly fi ght” cyber-attacks on the Ihand in the go-go 1980s as a “invisible hand” today, and that those to contribute to long-term growth, eff ective industrial strategy is the contributor to the previous decade’s policies will somehow end up fi tting and help to enable their success – institutional framework on which global banking system, one of the biggest co-ordinated stagnation, it is increasingly viewed as neatly into a coherent framework. That potentially even in ways that imply real it depends. The UK government eff orts yet to protect lenders since an $81mn heist of a means to stem working-class voters’ seems optimistic, at best. fi nancial risks. acknowledges the importance of the Bangladesh central bank’s account last year. defection to right-wing populist The UK’s new plan does not even For example, governments creating the right institutions to parties. But developing a modern and pinpoint the strategy’s main objective. should consider large infrastructure address regional disparities. But They have vowed to promote the resilience eff ective industrial strategy will be no Is it to buttress GDP growth when the investments that have positive institutions must go beyond linking of fi nancial services and institutions in G20 easy feat. UK is no longer part of the European externalities – say, shorter commuting up sectors and regions to ensure jurisdictions against “malicious” use of information The European Union has been trying single market and customs union? Or times, with their economic and social transparency and accountability, and communication technologies, including from to defi ne a consistent framework for is it to boost the British economy’s benefi ts – and that may be too large especially in the relationship between countries outside the G20. addressing the topic since 2014, when potential output (that is, to increase or too risky for the private sector. the private and public sectors. it published an analysis of industrial long-term trend growth)? The This is particularly relevant where the With that in mind, British leaders Cyber-crime became a top priority after an elaborate policy’s advantages and disadvantages. government’s plan mentions both government has access to a wider range should refl ect on which of the heist on the Bangladesh central bank’s account at The United Kingdom is further objectives, but says little about how of information than the private sector, necessary institutions are already in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York last year, an along, having released in January a they will be balanced. strengthening its ability to optimise its place and which need upgrading. It unprecedented theft that exposed the vulnerabilities of green paper on building an industrial UK leaders must recognise that, investments. is important to resist the urge simply strategy. US President Donald Trump where the strategy is aimed at Another component that is missing to shut down weak or ineffi cient the system. has also focused on industrial policy, strengthening post-Brexit growth, from current discussion of industrial institutions, and to consider, instead, though his version would presumably it will probably have to be set in the policy in Europe is a clear timeline. how they can be reformed and To Advertise entail substantial state intervention context of higher tariff s vis-à-vis the The reality is that a strategy developed strengthened. and protectionist measures. EU, which would remain Britain’s main today could take a generation to Major changes are coming to the [email protected] Trump’s regressive vision, despite market. Such a strategy would also deliver results (think education British and European economies. Display remaining short on details, already have to take into account the global reform). So an eff ective industrial Leaders must act now to defi ne a seems defective. But Europe’s competitiveness of British industry, strategy must establish not only an comprehensive strategic vision that Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 approaches to industrial strategy and complement the country’s new overall timeframe, but also important will enable them to cope with the Classified show some promise, not least independent trade policy. milestones along the way. challenges ahead. That vision must be Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 because they are likely to eschew the At the same time, the British In the UK’s case, those milestones bold and ambitious. Above all, it must broad interventions of the past that government must not get so caught should include shorter-term goals and be shared. At a time of intensifying Subscription emphasised “picking winners.” In the up in preserving short-term growth outcomes associated with the Brexit polarisation, that may well be the [email protected] United Kingdom, for example, the and employment amid Brexit that it process. After all, an eff ective modern hardest part. – Project Syndicate government expects to focus instead loses sight of the need to boost long- industrial strategy requires a careful on “targeted interventions” designed term growth potential. Worryingly, accounting of the assets and resources, OPaola Subacchi is Research Director 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved to create positive incentives, correct however, the proposed strategy may including human capital, that the of International Economics at Chatham market failures, and address social, over-emphasise ring-fencing the economy will need in the coming years. House. Gulf Times Sunday, March 19, 2017 33 COMMENT Out of time in North Korea

The problem is that is uncertain. The only certainty is and potential defence, given the that the failure of either would result military threat posed by the North. missile defence is in unimaginable costs. In these For the same reason, any limits on imperfect, and deterrence circumstances, Japan and South Korea US forces in the country or region might reconsider whether they, too, would be unacceptable. And any is uncertain. The only require nuclear weapons, raising negotiation must take place within a certainty is that the failure the risk of a new and potentially fixed time period, lest North Korea destabilising arms race in the region. use that time to create new military of either would result in A second set of options would facts. unimaginable costs employ military force, either against a Could such an approach succeed? gathering North Korean threat or one The short answer is “maybe.” judged to be imminent. One problem China’s stance would likely prove By Richard N Haass with this approach is uncertainty critical. Chinese leaders have no New York as to whether military strikes could love for Kim Jong-un’s regime or its destroy all of the North’s missiles nuclear weapons, but it dislikes even and warheads. But even if they more the prospect of North Korea’s here is a growing consensus could, North Korea would probably collapse and the unification of the that the fi rst genuine crisis of retaliate with conventional military Korean Peninsula with Seoul as the Donald Trump’s presidency forces against South Korea. Given capital. Tcould involve North Korea that Seoul and US troops stationed The question is whether China (the and, more specifi cally, its ability to in South Korea are well within range conduit by which goods enter and place a nuclear warhead on one or of thousands of artillery pieces, the leave North Korea) could be persuaded more ballistic missiles possessing toll in lives and physical damage to use its considerable infl uence with suffi cient range and accuracy to reach would be immense. The new South its neighbour. The US should off er the continental United States. A crisis Korean government (which will take some reassurances that it would could stem from other factors as well: offi ce in two months) is sure to resist not exploit Korea’s reunifi cation for a large increase in the number of any action that could trigger such a strategic advantage, while warning nuclear warheads that North Korea scenario. China of the dangers North Korea’s produces, evidence that it is selling Some therefore opt for regime current path poses to its own interests. nuclear materials to terrorist groups, change, hoping that a diff erent North Continued conversations with China or some use of its conventional Korean leadership might prove to be about how best to respond to possible military forces against South Korea or more reasonable. It probably would; scenarios on the peninsula clearly US forces stationed there. but, given how closed North Korea make sense. There is no time to lose: any of these is, bringing about such an outcome Again, there is no guarantee developments could occur in a matter remains more wish than serious that diplomacy would succeed. of months or at most years. Strategic policy. But it might. And even if it failed, patience, the approach toward This brings us to diplomacy. The This handout photo from the US Forces Korea (USFK) taken on March 6, 2017 shows the first elements of the US-built Terminal demonstrating that a good-faith North Korea that has characterised US could off er (following close High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) arriving at Osan US Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul. The US military has begun eff ort had been made would make it successive US administrations since consultations with the governments deploying an anti-ballistic missile defence system to South Korea, following a string of missile tests by North Korea. less diffi cult to contemplate, carry the early 1990s, has run its course. in South Korea and Japan, and out, and subsequently explain to One option would be simply ideally against the backdrop of access to international inspectors to War – a peace agreement with the of relations (or end of sanctions) so domestic and international audiences to accept as inevitable continued additional United Nations resolutions verify compliance. The North would North. long as repression remained the norm. why an alternative policy, one that increases in the quantity and quality and economic sanctions) direct also have to commit not to sell any North Korea (in some ways like Iran) Full normalisation of ties would also included the use of military force, was of North Korea’s nuclear and missile negotiations with North Korea. nuclear materials to any other country could keep its nuclear option but be require North Korea giving up its embraced. – Project Syndicate inventories. The US, South Korea, Once talks started, the US side could or organisation. barred from translating it into a reality. nuclear weapons programme. and Japan would fall back on a advance a deal: North Korea would In exchange, the US and its partners Concerns over North Korea’s many At the same time, the US should zRichard N Haass is president of the combination of missile defence and have to agree to freeze its nuclear and would off er, besides direct talks, the human-rights violations would not limit how far it is willing to go. There Council on Foreign Relations and the deterrence. missile capabilities, which would easing of sanctions. The US and others be pressed at this time, although the can be no end to regular US-South author, most recently, of A World in The problem is that missile require cessation of all testing of both could also agree to sign – more than country’s leaders would understand Korean military exercises, which are Disarray: American Foreign Policy and defence is imperfect, and deterrence warheads and missiles, along with 60 years after the end of the Korean that there could be no normalisation a necessary component of deterrence the Crisis of the Old Order. Weather report Mixed signals from the eurozone Three-day forecast TODAY High: 28 C By Daniel Gros of “Frexit” and “Italexit” are at 8% and crisis, before ECB President Mario refers to the diff erence in yields on Low : 20 C Brussels 14%, both much higher than even at Draghi promised in July 2012 that ten-year bonds. A spread of 180 Inshore: Strong wind at places and the peak of the eurozone crisis earlier the European Central Bank would basis points for Italy, for example, expected thundery rain associated in the decade. do “whatever it takes” to save the means that the Italian government is with strong wind. hat does the eurozone’s The balances among national euro. But the increase in the negative paying 1.8% more than the German future hold? It depends central banks within the eurozone balance for Spain is diffi cult to government, but only for ten- MONDAY where you look. Some constitute another widely used reconcile with the country’s robust year bonds. If one were to take the High: 28 C Weconomic indicators indicator of the probability of a economic data and the absence of any forthcoming elections as the proper Low: 19 C suggest that things are looking up for breakup. These so-called TARGET2 signifi cant anti-euro political force. time horizon, one should look at M Sunny the common currency’s survival; for balances are often taken as a sign of The only country for which the 1-2-year maturities. But for these example, employment has returned to capital fl ight: investors in countries Sentix indicator is correlated with shorter-term investment horizons, the its pre-crisis peak, and per capita GDP at risk of abandoning the euro might TARGET2 balances is Italy. The ECB’s spreads are much lower: close to zero TUESDAY growth exceeded that of the United be tempted to transfer their funds to explanation of the increase in TARGET2 for France and a few dozen basis points High: 26 C States last year. At the same time, Germany. That way, these investors imbalances – that it is mainly an for Italy and Spain. Low: 18 C political risks seem to be increasing, would benefi t if their country left the indirect consequence of the ECB’s own Thus, there seems to be little reason P Cloudy despite the improvements in Europe’s currency union, because balances with vast bond-purchase programme – thus to fear for the euro’s survival in the economy. a German bank presumably would seems much more reasonable than near term. Small short-term spreads The evidence of an increasing risk remain in euro, or in rock-solid “neue attributing it to capital fl ight. And, in belie the focus on the forthcoming Fishermen’s forecast of a eurozone breakup comes from Deutsche Mark” should the eurozone fact, these imbalances began growing elections in France (and those in Italy), OFFSHORE DOHA three diff erent indicators. But closer break up. again with the onset of the bond buying, which supposedly imply a concrete Wind: SE-NE 18-25/30 KT examination of those indicators But this line of reasoning does not long before the recent bout of political short-run danger of a breakup. Waves: 5-8/10 Feet suggests that, while the longer-term seem to explain recent developments, instability. Likewise, while the accumulated INSHORE DOHA Wind: SE-E 10-20/26 KT risks remain substantial, the short- because the TARGET2 balances are The third indicator of renewed TARGET2 imbalances would indeed Waves: 1-3/4 Feet term risks are rather low. not correlated with the euro breakup eurozone tensions is probably the create a problem in case of a euro One widely used indicator is probabilities as measured by the most reliable, because it is based on breakup, they do not constitute an Around the region based on Sentix surveys of market Sentix surveys. For example, the where people put their money. This is independent indicator of capital fl ight. Weather Weather participants, which show a strong TARGET2 balance of the Bank of the so-called “spread”: the diff erence But all is not well, either. Persistent today Max/min tomorrow Max/min increase in the proportion who believe Greece has actually improved slightly between the yield of, say, French, longer-term yield diff erentials suggest Abu Dhabi Sunny 36/27 Cloudy 34/22 that the eurozone will break up soon in recent months, and that of the Italian, or Spanish bonds relative to that market participants have some Baghdad S T Storms 20/12 Sunny 22/11 (over the next 12 months). And this Bank of France has remained close those issued by Germany. And the doubts about the euro’s long-term Dubai M Sunny 34/27 Cloudy 36/23 Kuwait City Sunny time it is not Greece that is driving the to zero (with a small recovery just spread has increased sharply in recent survival. Speculation about election S T Storms 22/16 25/14 Manama S T Storms 29/20 P Cloudy 23/18 result, but France and Italy. as the probability of a victory by the months. But this indicator is also not outcomes in the immediate future is Muscat Sunny 32/26 Sunny 34/25 Of course, Greece is in diffi culty anti-European presidential candidate consistent with the focus on France’s more fascinating than discussions Riyadh Cloudy 33/16 P Cloudy 26/15 again. But, according to the Sentix Marine Le Pen has increased). presidential election this spring, or on about eurozone reforms. – Project Tehran Rain 18/09 Showers 15/06 indicator, the perceived likelihood of True, the balances of Spain and Italy’s general election (which must be Syndicate “Grexit” remains, despite a recent Italy are now again nearing €400bn held by early next year) as somehow surge, well below its previous peaks. ($423bn) in net liabilities, a level determining the fate of the euro. zDaniel Gros is Director of the Center By contrast, the perceived likelihood last reached at the peak of the euro After all, the widely quoted spread for European Policy Studies. Live issues Can drones deliver emergency defi brillators?

By Lisa Rapaport “Because the drone can fl y in a patient 10 minutes and 34 seconds In the study, researchers calculated Reuters Health straight line, potentially avoiding sooner than historical 911 response that a regional network of 100 drones obstacles that the ambulance cannot, times. on 80 bases would be needed to reduce the drone can arrive to scene more In cardiac arrest, the heart stops the time it takes to start defi brillators drone network could quickly and be carrying a defi brillator abruptly, often due to irregular heart by three minutes. If they concentrated be deployed to speed that a bystander can use before the rhythms. Cardiac arrest may occur drones in areas with the most people, Around the world defi brillators to bystanders paramedics arrive,” said Timothy with no warning and is often fatal they would need 70 drones on 49 Weather Weather trying to help people in Chan, director of the Centre for unless the heart can be restarted bases. today Max/min tomorrow Max/min A P Cloudy 22/10 cardiac arrest, getting the devices Healthcare Engineering at the quickly. If they could get drones to beat 911 Athens 22/11 M Sunny to the patient faster than emergency University of Toronto. Automated defi brillators are times by 3 minutes, 92% of cardiac Beirut Sunny 17/13 S Showers 17/14 services, a recent Canadian study “Paramedics can take over after already common in public places arrest patients would be treated Bangkok M Sunny 33/27 S T Storms 33/27 Berlin Rain 09/08 Showers 12/09 suggests. they arrive, but because survival from like restaurants and airports. These faster under a drone system than they Cairo Sunny 22/11 Sunny 24/13 Researchers examined historical cardiac arrest is so time sensitive, even devices typically have electrodes would be by relying on the typical Cape Town Sunny 31/17 Sunny 34/20 data on 53,702 cardiac arrests over defi brillating the patient a minute that attach to the chest with sticky emergency medical services network, Colombo M Sunny 32/25 S T Storms 32/24 26,851sq km of rural and urban regions before paramedics get there can make pads and deliver shocks based on the researchers conclude. Dhaka P Cloudy 32/21 S T Storms 27/19 Hong Kong S Showers M Cloudy 24/21 surrounding Toronto, Ontario, to see a huge diff erence,” Chan said by what a computer in the defi brillator One limitation of the study is 22/21 Istanbul Showers 12/04 P Cloudy 14/07 how drones might be deployed to get e-mail. determines the person needs. that researchers used data only on Jakarta T Storms 32/24 T Storms 32/25 help to cardiac arrest patients more By concentrating more drones Several companies and researchers confirmed cardiac arrest cases, Karachi Sunny 36/20 Sunny 34/20 quickly than typical 911 response in urban areas instead, it would have developed prototype drone not every suspected cardiac arrest London Cloudy 14/11 Rain 13/04 times. require 28 drones on 15 bases to get technology that might be used to called in to 911 dispatchers, the Manila P Cloudy 32/23 P Cloudy 33/24 Moscow Showers 08/02 Rain& Snow 07/01 If drones were spread evenly across aid to the patients an average of one deliver defi brillators to the scene of authors note. This might mean New Delhi M Sunny 29/16 Sunny 31/16 the region, researchers calculated minute faster, researchers report in a cardiac arrest, researchers note. they underestimated the number of New York P Cloudy 07/00 M Sunny 11/03 that it would require 37 drones spread Circulation. Google, for example, has a patent drones needed, because they would Paris Cloudy 15/09 Cloudy 14/08 across 23 bases to get patients started In their simulations, drones in the for drone delivery of defi brillators still need to be deployed on calls that Sao Paulo Rain 21/17 Showers 22/17 Seoul Sunny M Cloudy 17/04 turned out to be false alarms. 18/02 on defi brillator treatment about one most urban areas yielded a best time and other medical supplies, and Singapore T Storms 32/24 T Storms 32/24 minute faster than they would have savings of 6 minutes 43 seconds, companies have also proposed using Another drawback of the study is Sydney Rain 25/22 P Cloudy 27/21 been if they waited for emergency and in the most rural areas, the best drones to deliver everything from it doesn’t calculate costs, which the Tokyo Clear 18/06 Cloudy 15/06 services. clocked times got the drone to the pizza to offi cial documents. authors note might be considerable. Gulf Times 34 Sunday, March 19, 2017 QATAR

Vehicles passing through the underpass at the new interchange on Al Shafi Street. PICTURES: Jayan Orma The new interchange at Al Qalaa Street. Ashghal committed to delivering projects on time: president he Public Works Author- The ministers and attendees tion. He pointed out that the help reduce traffi c congestion ity (Ashghal) has been were briefed through a presen- road is complete by all stand- in surrounding areas such as Al Tlauded and congratulated tation on the project’s imple- ards, including with regard to Rayyan, Muaither and Al Shafi , for speedy implementation of mentation phases, which extend infrastructure. having a particularly signifi cant the fi rst phase of the Al Rayyan for approximately 2.9km from He expressed gratitude to impact on Al Rayyan Municipal- Road Upgrade Project. the west of Khalid Bin Abdullah all the entities involved in the ity - one of the largest in terms of The phase was opened yes- Al Attiyah roundabout (New Al project for their co-ordinated population. terday in the presence of HE Rayyan roundabout) to the east eff orts and implementation of Further, he hoped that the rest Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, of Bani Hajer roundabout, in the works. of the Al Rayyan upgrade project Minister of Transport and addition to a visit to the project On his part, HE al-Rumaihi would be completed in the com- Communications; HE Moham- site, particularly to the under- expressed pleasure at the ac- ing months and provide smooth ed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, passes of Al Qalaa and Al Shafi celerated pace of implemen- traffi c movement from Doha Minister of Municipality and interchanges that were opened tation and Ashghal’s commit- to Dukhan, serving people and Environment; Dr Saad bin to traffi c. ment to opening this phase supporting economic services in Ahmed al-Muhannadi, presi- HE al-Sulaiti congratulated before the scheduled date, the area. grade Project two months before ute to the improvement of traffi c travel time will be shortened.” dent of Ashghal; and other sen- the authority for completing noting that expediting the Speaking at the formal launch schedule shows Ashghal’s deter- movement in the area and short- The Ashghal president also ior offi cials from the Ministry the project before its deadline, implementation of projects of the interchanges, Dr al-Mu- mination to accelerate the pace en travel time by around 20- lauded HE the Prime Minister of Municipality and Environ- stressing that the road would such as interchanges would hannadi said the authority was of implementation and resched- 30%. “The full positive impact and Minister of Interior Sheikh ment, Ministry of Transport provide smooth traffi c fl ow and contribute to enhancing traffi c committed to delivering projects uling vital projects to be deliv- will clearly appear after com- Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa and Communications, Ashghal, works were continuing expedi- movement. on or before the schedule. ered before their deadlines,” he pletion of the main Al Rayyan- al-Thani’s keenness to closely General Directorate of Traffi c tiously for timely accomplish- He explained that the por- “The opening of the fi rst added, noting that the opening Dukhan Corridor in 2018, after follow up on the implementation and Al Rayyan Municipality. ment of the remaining por- tion opened yesterday would phase of Al Rayyan Road Up- of the fi rst phase would contrib- which more than half the of ongoing projects. Commercial Bank’s Manchester United Soccer School is back

ommercial Bank, the ex- two Manchester United Soccer chester United Soccer School clusive fi nancial services School coaches being specially coaches, the kids will receive an Cpartner of Manchester fl own in from the UK to provide all-round training experience United in Qatar, has announced the training. involving on-pitch techniques that the Manchester United Soc- Commercial Bank customers related to Manchester United cer School has returned to Qatar were awarded places for their fi rst team training, advice on for the fourth consecutive year. children or younger siblings how to behave off the pitch, un- A total of 160 girls and boys are taking part in the soccer school from today at Al Arabi Stadium. A total of 160 girls and boys at the exclusive fi ve-day soc- derstanding tactics and what aged seven to 16 years are taking cer school by spending on their it takes to develop a winning Payments, said: “Through our popular Manchester United Soc- customers not only benefi t from chance to win a priceless Man- part in the soccer school from Commercial Bank Manchester mentality. exclusive partnership with Man- cer School back to Qatar for the Commercial Bank’s generous re- chester United experience for today until Thursday, March United credit cards. Roya Khajeh, Commercial chester United, Commercial fourth year. Simply by using our wards programme but they also themselves or a member of their 23, at Al Arabi Stadium, with Under the guidance of Man- Bank AGM, head of Cards and Bank is delighted to bring the Manchester United credit card, have the added excitement and family.” The Pearl-Qatar hosts kids’ musical performance

nited Development Com- pany (UDC), master devel- Uoper of The Pearl-Qatar, hosted Ghinwa - a live kids’ musical performance - on Friday. The performance was held at 31 La Croisette, Porto Arabia’s Amphithea- tre. It was played in two consecutive versions - one in Arabic and another in English - and started at 4pm. Ghinwa is a live performance sing- along show that is based on stories and showcases cartoon characters loved by children. The songs are both educational and fun and were enjoyed by the attending public, according to a statement. The event saw a “remarkable turn- out” - including residents of The Pearl-Qatar, visitors from all over the country and their families as well as attendees from neighbouring GCC countries who regularly visit The Pearl-Qatar over weekends, the statement noted. Ghinwa comes as another initiative of UDC to host activities and enter- tainment events that live up to expec- tations of the visitors and appeals to them in line with other developments at The Pearl-Qatar.