BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Crunch AFC matches for Lekhwiya, INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-9, 28 COMMENT 26, 27 REGION 10 BUSINESS 1-7, 14-16 Rayyan 20,599.00 10,509.88 52.24 ARAB WORLD 10, 11 CLASSIFIED 8-14 Qatar banking assets -600 +53.88 +0.54 INTERNATIONAL 12-25 SPORTS 1-8 -0.03% +0.52% +1.04% rise to QR1.27tn in Feb Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10419 April 10, 2017 Rajab 13, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals New fish market opens Contracts worth In brief QR8.3bn awarded QATAR | Offi cial Strong condemnation for Mogadishu attack Qatar has strongly condemned the blast that occurred outside a military in power sector base in the Somali capital Mogadishu, which resulted in killing and injuring a number of people. In a statement By Ramesh Mathew The works would cover several up- tracts for sub-stations are Siemens AG yesterday, the Foreign Ministry Staff Reporter coming residential projects spanning & Siemens WLL consortium (Qatar), reiterated Qatar’s firm position on across Doha and its neighbourhoods, Larsen & Toubro (India), National rejecting violence and terrorism the economic zones under Manateq, Contracting Company (Saudi Arabia), regardless of motives or reasons. I n a major boost to strengthen in- stadiums, business centres, hospital Galfar & Misnad (Qatar), and Best & expressed Qatar’s condolences to frastructure in the country’s power projects and schools. Betas Consortium (Turkey). the families of the victims, the Somali Isector, contracts for works to the Kahramaa president and senior en- LS Cable and system (N-Korea), government and people and wished tune of about QR8.30bn were awarded gineer Essa bin Hilal al-Kuwari, Kah- Larsen & Toubro (India), Furukawa the injured speedy recovery. Page 12 yesterday by the Qatar General Elec- ramaa directors and managers and rep- (Japan) and Elsewedy Cables (Qatar & tricity and Water Corporation (Kah- resentatives of the companies which Egypt) were awarded the contracts for QATAR | Arts ramaa). won the contracts were also present at laying the EHV cables. The awards, considered to be one of the ceremony. Answering a query after the signing, Top Chinese artist the largest ever in the history of Kah- Al-Kuwari said the projects would Dr al-Sada said the new projects would Ai Weiwei for Doha ramaa, is part of the Phase 13 of the contribute to improving the power in- boost further the country’s power in- Leading contemporary Chinese artist ambitious Qatar Power Transmission frastructure in and around Doha, and frastructure which is eff ectively meet- Ai Weiwei is coming to Doha this week System Expansion plan. enable Kahramaa achieve the goals of ing not only the requirements of the to experience the country’s flourishing Speaking at the ceremony, HE the the Qatar National Vision 2030. country’s residents and industry but arts and culture scene. His visit is Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Besides building new substations has also generated surplus electricity further evidence of Qatar’s progress Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada hoped the and laying cables, the works would also to meet the additional requirements in as a leading creative and artistic hub works to be executed as part of the lat- cover the upgrading of some of the ex- case of an emergency from anywhere that attracts world-renowned artists est contracts would accelerate the de- isting substations, he said. within the country or from other Gulf from around the world. Ai Weiwei will velopment in the country’s power sec- It is learnt that while laying new ca- countries. visit several of Qatar’s most prominent tor. It is expected that the latest works bles, about 36km would involve 400kV He also informed that for the fi rst and significant arts and culture would be executed between 16 and 25 cables and 47.5km would cover 220kV time ever, a major contract was award- destinations including the Museum of months from now. cables. ed to a local fi rm in the strengthening of Islamic Art, Mathaf: Arab Museum of The contracts would cover the con- Nearly 285.8km would involve 132kV the network’s expansion. Earlier, Qatari Modern Art, and QM Gallery Katara and struction of 77 sub-stations and laying cables and the remaining 84km would fi rms were considered only along with meet with senior QM representatives. of more than 450km of extra high voltage feature 66kV cables. their joint ventures with their interna- Page 28 (EHV) cables in diff erent areas of Qatar. The contractors who signed the con- tional partners, he added.

ARAB WORLD | Confl ict ‘Radar info shows Syrian regime behind gas attack’ A scene from the new fish market which opened yesterday at the northern Doha Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suburb of Umm Slal. The new facility has replaced the fish market in Doha’s Abu said that they have radar information Hamour and will receive customers from 6am to 10pm, Saturday to Thursday. and forensic reports which show that On Fridays, it will function from 6am to 10.30am and from 3pm to 10pm. The the Syrian regime attacked Khan Permanent Committee for Managing Central Markets at the Ministry of Economy Sheikhoun with chemical weapons. and Commerce said consumers have several other options too for buying fresh fish. Erdogan held a television interview These include Al Wakrah fish market in Al Wakrah old souq, Al Khor and Al Shamal that was reported by Anadolu Agency fish market, Doha Corniche fish stalls and the various outlets that sell fish around the HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada and Kahramaa president Essa bin Hilal al-Kuwari with and dismissed the Syrian government’s country in shopping malls and other places. PICTURE: Anas Khalid representatives of the companies which were awarded contracts yesterday. PICTURE: Jayaram story that the chemicals came from a depot of a terrorist organisation. He said that Nato also had all the radar information on the incident. Erdogan stressed that the Syrian regime still has chemical weapons, adding that he will look to bring that up in all international State of emergency in Egypt after church blasts gatherings. Page 10

EAST ASIA | Tension AFP of emergency, which he must present to At least 78 people were wounded in Emir condemns terrorist act Cairo parliament within a week, during a defi - Tanta and 40 in Alexandria. Trump seeks options for ant speech warning that the war against US President Donald Trump led in- HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister eliminating nuke threat the militants “will be long and painful”. ternational condemnation of yester- al-Thani and HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al- As a US strike group led by an aircraft gyptian President Abdel Fattah The fi rst bombing at the Mar Girgis day’s attacks. Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent yester- Thani also sent a cable of condolences to carrier steamed towards the Korean al-Sisi announced a three-month church in Tanta city north of Cairo killed “So sad to hear of the terrorist attack day cables of condolences to Egyptian Egyptian Prime Minister Eng Sharif Ismail peninsula yesterday, a senior off icial Estate of emergency following twin 27 people, the health ministry said. in Egypt. US strongly condemns. I have President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the victims on the victims of the explosions. said President Donald Trump has church bombings by the Islamic State Emergency services had scrambled great confi dence that President al-Sisi of the two criminal explosions that took Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry expressed asked to be provided with a range group that killed dozens on Palm Sun- to the scene when another blast rocked will handle situation properly.” place in Mar Girgis Church in Tanta and in Qatar’s strong condemnation of the explo- of options for eliminating the North day, the deadliest attacks on the minor- St. Mark’s church in Alexandria where UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed St. Mark Church in Alexandria, wishing a sions. In a statement the ministry said Korean nuclear threat. The US naval ity in recent memory. Coptic Pope Tawadros II had been lead- the hope that the perpetrators will be speedy recovery to the injured. attacking religious sites desecrates their move will certainly raise tensions in the The attacks in the Nile Delta cities of ing a Palm Sunday service. swiftly brought to justice after a Secu- HH the Emir expressed his strong condem- sanctity. region and comes hard on the heels Tanta and Alexandria followed a Cairo Seventeen people including at least rity Council statement condemned the nation of this terrorist act which targeted The statement also condemned the re-oc- of a US cruise missile strike on Syria church bombing in December and came four police offi cers were killed in that bombings as “heinous” and “cowardly”. places of worship and innocent people, currence of such actions in Egypt, describ- that was widely interpreted as putting weeks before a planned visit by Catholic attack, which the interior ministry said The Cairo-based Al-Azhar, an infl u- stressing the State of Qatar’s firm position ing it as a horrible crime. It reiterated Qatar’s Pyongyang on warning over its refusal Pope Francis intended to show support was caused by a suicide bomber who ential Sunni Muslim authority, said the rejecting violence and terrorism in all its firm stance rejecting violence and terrorism to abandon its nuclear ambitions. for Egypt’s Christian minority. blew himself up when prevented from attacks aimed to “destabilise security forms and manifestations. regardless of the motives and reasons. Page 15 Sisi declared the “three-month” state entering the church. and the unity of Egyptians”. 40% structural work of Al Bayt Stadium completed orty per cent of the structural The retaining wall that will support work of Al Bayt Stadium – Al Khor the next two levels of the stadium’s FCity, a proposed host venue for the overall weight has also been erected, 2022 FIFA World Cup, has been com- and will ultimately be the main sup- pleted, it was announced yesterday. port of the stadium’s state-of-the-art Aspire Zone Foundation project di- retractable roof that will take just 20 rector for Al Bayt Stadium – Al Khor minutes to close. The venue will have City, Dr Nasser al-Hajeri, said: “Work an overall height of 37m. on the site is progressing on schedule, Meanwhile, the SC project manager with 40% of stadium structural work for Al Bayt Stadium – Al Khor City, en- and 25% of the construction work for gineer Mohamed Ahmed, added: “Re- the surrounding precinct already com- cently the site team began installation pleted. of the fi rst fi x of approximately 2,500 “The area around the stadium will seats at the north stand of the 60,000- include facilities for the community seat stadium.” and green areas. There are currently The steel structure platforms for the 3,000 construction workers on site, modular seats are designed in Germa- and workers’ welfare continues to be a ny and made in Italy, while the actual A view of the under construction Al Bayt Stadium. Artist’s rendition of an exterior view of Al Bayt Stadium when it is complete. top priority as we advance with con- are seats designed and made in Qatar. struction on this unique stadium which After the tournament, the stadium’s nated to countries in need of sporting will then be converted into a hotel. A also be incorporated into the structure. design plan, creating a green lung for Al will leave a tangible legacy for the com- capacity will be reduced to about infrastructure. shopping centre and a branch of Aspetar, Parks and greenery will form an inte- Khor and providing local families with munity after the tournament.” 32,000 seats, with the upper tiers do- The upper concourse of the stadium the leading sports medicine facility, will gral part of the surrounding precinct’s invaluable outdoor space to enjoy. Gulf Times 2 Monday, April 10, 2017 QATAR

WISE concludes the first residential session of its 2016-17 Learners’ Voice Programme. WISE concludes fi rst session of Learners’ Voice Programme

he World Innovation evening sessions delivered perts, including Stavros N will have the opportunity Summit for Educa- by expert faculty from the Yiannouka, CEO, WISE; to present at the 2017 Fall- Ttion’s (WISE) Learn- University of Oxford, Har- and Dr Stefanos Gialamas, ing Wall Labs Conference in ers’ Voice Programme has vard University, University president, American Com- Berlin, Germany. concluded its fi rst resi- of Bologña, and Save the munity School of Athens as WISE, a member of Qatar dential session for the year Children, among others. well as representatives from Foundation for Education, 2016-17. Dina Pasic, head of pro- Project Elea, METAdrasi, Science and Community Taking place in Athens, grammes, WISE, said, “Af- and Organisation Earth. Development, established Greece, for the fi rst time ter visiting the Katsikas The residential sessions the Learners’ Voice Pro- since its inception in 2010, refugee camp last April, it of the programme are de- gramme to engage the per- the intensive workshops became clear that if we are signed to support the par- spectives and creative en- brought together 25 young to seriously explore social ticipants as they research ergies of young people in people to explore the global issues, we must immerse and develop a variety of discourse around important forced migration and refu- ourselves and learn from innovative educational education issues and social gee crisis. those directly aff ected by projects throughout the challenges. The group spent the days them. year. This year’s participants, supporting the work of or- The Learners’ Voice The Learners will contin- aged 18-25, were chosen ganisations working with Programme challenges its ue to develop projects that from over 1,000 applica- both urban and camp refu- participants to develop aim to support the needs of tions and collectively repre- gee communities in Athens, feasible, actionable and ed- displaced individuals and sent 21 countries. including: Khora Commu- ucational solutions to such their host communities The programme is sup- nity Centre, METAdrasi, challenges.” through educational inter- ported by its partners Banco Orange House, Project Elea, The sessions came to a ventions. Santander through its Uni- and Organisation Earth. close following the presen- Successful projects will versities Global Division The practical compo- tation of fi ve group projects be pitched at the 2017 WISE and the American Commu- nent was complemented by to a panel of education ex- Summit and the best project nity Schools of Athens.

Gulf Times 4 Monday, April 10, 2017 QATAR Ooredoo, QRCS in 3-year partnership ‘Noticeable rise’ in temperature oredoo and Qatar Red Crescent (QRCS) have Oannounced a three-year Mainly settled weather’ The minimum, on the other partnership agreement to en- is expected to continue in hand, was 20C in Abu Samra, able donations to the charity ‘Qatar over the coming days 21C in Ghuwairiya and 27C in via Ooredoo’s nationwide self- and there will also be a “no- Doha. service machine network. ticeable rise” in temperature Today, a maximum tempera- The signatories were Ooredoo’s to late-30C/early-40C levels ture of 34C is expected in Doha, chief operating offi cer Yousuf Ab- in most areas, the Met depart- Wakrah and Mesaieed, while dulla al-Kubaisi, and QRCS CEO, ment has said. the minimum will be 21C in Abu Youssef Ahmed al-Hammadi. Off shore conditions are also Samra and 27C in the capital. With over 200 self-service likely to be suitable for all sea Today’s detailed forecast machines spread across the Ooredoo and QRCS off icials at the agreement signing ceremony. activities until the weekend, for inshore areas says it will be country, donations to QRCS will according to a tweet by the hazy to misty in some places soon be easily made by cash or donate a few riyals to QRCS to methods, so that everyone can parts of Qatar through representa- Ooredoo self-service machines, weather offi ce. in the early hours, followed by credit/debit card 24/7. help those in need. fi nd an easy way to donate. tives in malls, via bank transfers, customers can also pay Oore- A maximum temperature of relatively hot daytime condi- Al-Kubaisi hoped that the Al-Hammadi thanked Oore- “This new feature represents through the QRCS website or call- doo Shahry and Kahramaa bills, 39C was recorded in Turayna tions and some clouds. Hazy to next time users pay their bill, doo for its co-operation and an upgrade to available donations ing 16002 to make a donation.” purchase Hala SIM cards, and and Karana yesterday, followed misty conditions are also ex- top-up their service or head into indicated that QRCS is keen to means, which includes donating in added al-Hammadi added. top-up Hala accounts, as well as by Batna at 38C. In Doha (airport pected in some off shore areas an Ooredoo Shop, they would diversify donations means and cash to QRCS branches in diff erent In addition to donating via the Karwa bus cards. area), the maximum was 33C. at fi rst along with clouds. PHCC urges public to use appointment system

he Primary Health ment we provide to our pa- Care Corporation tients. T(PHCC) has advised “We are working hard on those seeking medical as- delivering a timely service that sistance at its health centres facilitates the patient’s life- to make use of the appoint- styles and the technology they ment system to avail its use, to provide easy access to services effi ciently. the healthcare services.” According to a PHCC state- “We urge patients to sup- ment, booking an appoint- port our eff orts by making sure ment prior to visiting the they schedule appointments health centre, will ensure that and attend half an hour prior to people need not spend a long appointment time as this will time to be seen by a doctor. This reduces the number for visitors by making the benefi t everyone. The unused In addition, the appoint- of missed appointments appointment system fi t into appointments hinder patients ment systems also come and allows patients to better patient’s lives more easily. from getting to see their phy- equipped with other benefi - manage their time. Dr Hanan al-Mujalli, ex- sician in a timely manner,” she cial features like automated Cutting the numbers of ecutive director of clinical added. text message reminders, missed appointments saves aff airs said, “It is impera- People can visit any health sent out to patients and valuable resources, ensures tive that we all recognise the centre or call 107 to make an booked individuals on a appropriate care is provided benefi t of the appointment appointment or know more specifi c date prior to their to other patients and cre- system, which plays a vital about the benefi ts of booking scheduled appointment. ates a more effi cient service role in the care and treat- appointments. Doha to host international CSR meeting

he Second Edition of the International Conference on Social Responsibility will be held in Doha from April T16-18 under the theme of “Security is a Social Respon- sibility” organised by Al Faisal Without Borders (ALF) Foun- dation at Qatar National Convention Centre. This year’s edition brings together more than 45 research- ers from 18 Arab and foreign countries along with a number of Qatari researchers in various institutions and ministries. Participants will discuss the challenges to social respon- sibility in the area of security as well as the measurement of social responsibility in the security fi eld and will also review various practical prac- tices of community responsi- bility in this area. The conference will include a plenary session entitled “Security a Social Responsi- bility: Basics and Challeng- es,” followed by a number of working sessions on national security and social respon- sibility, the role of religion, media, social institutions and social service in promoting social responsibility in the fi eld of security. An exhibition will be held on the sidelines of the event attracting more than 35 min- istries and governmental and private institutions, as well as a number of Qatari charitable societies and foundations. Zakat Fund gives QR19.4mn aid in March

The total assistance provided by the Zakat Fund at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Aff airs for needy families through the country in March amounted to more than QR19.4mn. Director of Zakat Fund, Jassim Mohamed al-Kubaisi, said in a press statement that this amount comes within the framework of permanent and in-kind assistance to those eligible for assistance in Qatar. The aid was disbursed in accordance with the Fund’s policy, which takes into account the applicable requirements governing the Zakat Fund and that beneficiaries should be among those stipulated in the Holy Qur’an, he said. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 5 QATAR

Vodafone Qatar launches new roaming packs

odafone has introduced two new roaming ‘Business Pass- port Packs’ exclusively available for their business cus- Vtomers that off er great value in roaming data and roaming calls with a validity of 14 days and 30 days. The Vodafone 14-day ‘Business Passport Pack’ gives customers 160 minutes of outgo- ing roaming calls, unlimited receiving calls while roaming, and 2GB of data when travelling to any ‘Vodafone Passport’ country for just QR180. The Vodafone 30-day ‘Business Passport Pack’ gives custom- ers 300 minutes of outgoing roaming calls, unlimited receiving calls while roaming, and 4GB of data when travelling to any ‘Vo- dafone Passport’ country for just QR320. “Businesses function by being constantly connected, whether it’s locally on the Vo- dafone network or globally while roaming on the world’s largest network. Vodafone is committed to giving businesses the support they need to run their company so we will continue to expand our portfolio of business plans with new and innovative products,” said Vodafone Qatar chief business offi cer Mahmud Awad. The Vodafone Passport Pack, which works on all operators across 78 countries, also allows customers to enjoy the widest 4G coverage while roaming. Interested businesses can visit Vodafone Stores orwww.vodafone.qa to learn more. Qatar Airways cabin crew taking part in the autism awareness month. MEC inspects retailers

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) conducted a number of intensive inspection campaigns around the country on various retailers last month, resulting in the issue of 79 notices for violating law no 8 for 2008 on Consumer Protection. Most of the violations were regarding describing or advertising an item with Qatar Airways supports fraudulent or misleading information, not posting all the related information and data of the items on display, not posting price tags, display of expired products, selling items with non-compliant stand- ards, and issuing invoices with not complete data. Autism Awareness Day Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class recall The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in collaboration o mark World Autism the Doha-based carrier has said president (Human Resources) to educate our staff and increase publish autism-related content with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, has announced the recall Awareness Day (April 2) in a press statement. Nabeela Fakhri said, “As part of our crew’s knowledge in order to across the airline’s social media of Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2016 model because the setting of Tand support the UN World As part of the programme, Qa- our long-standing commitment eff ectively off er support to all of channels to further increase glo- the front passenger seat occupancy sensor may not correspond Autism Awareness campaign, tar Airways will organise a series to social responsibility, we are our passengers.” bal awareness. to factory specification. The MEC said the recall campaign comes Qatar Airways has partnered of seminars conducted by HMC proud to participate in this im- In addition to the activities These activities are part of a within the framework of its ongoing eff orts to protect consum- with Hamad Medical Corpora- doctors, specialists and thera- portant global initiative at a lo- that will be held at Qatar Air- number of autism-related initia- ers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and tion (HMC) to off er a programme pists for employees to highlight cal level in Doha. Travelling can ways’ headquarters, the airline’s tives Qatar Airways is undertak- repairs. The MEC will co-ordinate with the dealer to follow up on the of activities to employees of techniques to recognise and sup- be challenging and strenuous crew will visit the Child Develop- ing, including a partnership with maintenance and repair works and communicate with custom- the national carrier during the port passengers with autism. An for most of us, but it can be par- ment Centre, a specialised centre Doha’s Shafallah Centre to help ers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out. The MEC month of April. information kiosk will also be set ticularly daunting for those with in Doha located at HMC and Ka- employ young people aff ected by has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer The activities are designed to up at the Qatar Airways Opera- autism, as well as for caregivers tara, to gain a better understand- the disorder. The Shafallah Cen- Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the fol- increase awareness and deepen tions Centre to share information travelling with them. By raising ing of the condition. Addition- tre off ers comprehensive services lowing channels: Hotline: 16001, e-mail: [email protected], Twitter: @ the airline employees’ under- and insights with crew members. awareness and sharing exper- ally, a special photo shoot was and care for individuals with au- MEC_Qatar, Instagram: MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for Android and standing of those with autism, Qatar Airways senior vice- tise about the disorder, we aim arranged with the cabin crew to tism and their families. IOS: MEC_Qatar Gulf Times 6 Monday, April 10, 2017 QATAR

Babyshop names winners of ‘Expressions’ competition QU college and abyshop has concluded select the competition winners. Landmark Group Qatar chief the second season of “Ex- The fi rst three winners were operating offi cer Santosh Pai Bpressions” by announc- awarded in each category. said: “The response to ‘Expres- ing the winners of the drawing In the 5-7 years category with sions’ was overwhelming. This competition presented by Ba- the theme “My family”, Thama- competition provided an excel- byshop Qatar for children aged ra R Pillai won fi rst prize, fol- lent platform for kids to explore between fi ve and 14 years. lowed by Bindiya Pramod, and and portray their creativity. clinic mark Heart A grand prize distribution Pranav Sai clinching the third “I would specially like to ceremony was held at Cen- prize. thank all the parents who have trepoint, Al Asmakh Mall, on In the 8-10 years category made the eff orts and encour- Friday, April 7. with the theme “Save water”, aged their kids to participate Participants were divided Maria Beatrice claimed the fi rst this year.” into three age categories – 5-7 prize, Pranay Mukala took the He also thanked the judges years, 8-10 years, and 11-14 second prize, and Nazeel P Sa- and volunteers who made the years – and covered the themes geer won the third prize. event a success. Saver Month “My family”, “Save water”, and In the 11-14 years category The judges were also pre- “Global warming”. with the theme “Global warm- sented souvenirs as a token of he College of Medicine A panel of judges, including R ing”, Nidhi Noronha took home gratitude for supporting the (CMED) of Qatar Univer- Udaya Shankar from Birla Pub- the fi rst prize, while the second competition. Tsity recently organised the lic School, Salwa Hamdy from prize went to Sarang Santosh, Babyshop is a leading one- “Hands-Only CPR” awareness Oscar Academy, and painter and Harsha Jalan winning the stop destination for children’s campaign to commemorate the Pratibha Pai, was appointed to third prize. products in the region. Heart Saver Month initiated by the American Heart Association (AHA). Organised in collaboration with QU Health Clinic, the event engaged over 131 students, staff , faculty, and visitors. Participants were given the opportunity to learn the skills of Hands-Only CPR, a life-saving activity that calls people to act in critical situations. They practised chest com- pressions on mannequins and received instant constructive and corrective feedback. CMED professor and head of clinical education Dr Alison Carr praised the organisers and volun- teers for their synergy and great eff orts that resulted in a success- ful and valuable initiative. She noted that Hands-Only CPR is CPR without mouth-to- mouth resuscitation, recom- mended for use by those who see a teen or adult suddenly collapse A CPR practice session. in an “out-of-hospital” setting. QU Health Clinic head Dr CMED lecturer Dr Ayad al- their actions can make a diff er- person’s chances of survival. Hafsa Hashad said: “We are Mosleh said: “By reaching out to ence.” Most people who experience defi nitely proud to be part of this people and conveying this im- Hands-Only CPR can save cardiac arrest at home, work or initiative that serves the vision of portant message, we help creat- lives. in a public location die because the cluster to create a healthier ing a more aware and safer com- As per the AHA, immediate they do not receive immediate The winners with Babyshop and Landmark Group Qatar off icials. Qatar.” munity. People need to know that CPR can double or even triple a CPR from someone on the scene. Motor show to sport Toyota Kikai

bdullah Abdulghani & Bros Co (AAB), sole agents for Toyota Avehicles in Qatar, will showcase the Toyota Kikai concept car in the 7th Edition of Qatar Motor Show that will be held at Doha Exhibition and Con- vention Centre from April 18 to 22. The Toyota Kikai concept car was designed to explore and emphasise the fundamental appeal of machines: their fi ne craftsmanship, their beauty, sim- plicity, and their fascinating motion, according to an AAB statement. The AAB statement explained that Kikai means “machine” in Japanese. “As a true concept car, the Toyota Kikai’s appeal is simultaneously free from and reliant on the core concepts A sketch of the Toyota Kikai concept car. of automobiles. The concept aims to highlight such elements as the beauty, On display at the booth will be Toy- through diff erent activities, showcas- precision and mechanical workings of ota’s most popular models – the Yaris, ing its features for visitors to closely a car by literally providing windows on the Corolla, the Camry, the Toyota 86, witness and experience. action that is normally out of view,” the Prius (the largest selling hybrid AAB, founded in 1958 by one of Qa- the statement added. model in the world), the Land Cruiser tar’s pioneering business families, is a The Toyota booth at the Qatar Motor (GX, VXR and top of the range VXS), leading automobile distributor in Qa- Show venue is in line with the recently and the Fortuner 2017 which was tar. announced brand campaign “Go Share awarded with the title of “Best Mid- The company’s commitment to de- the Fun” with the all-new 2017 Toyo- size SUV” award at the Middle East livering a great customer experience ta, which captures the sentiments of Car of the Year (MECOTY) 2017 event coupled with the world class quality car owners and encourages them to recently in UAE. and reliability of Toyota vehicles has “Explore, Excite and Enjoy” with their AAB will be demonstrating during enabled the brand to enjoy the highest families while driving Toyota. the motor show the hybrid technology market share in the country. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 7 QATAR

Clear and present danger! GCC family businesses have untapped potential for philanthropy, fi nds regional think-tank

CC family busi- to maximise the impact of nesses could maxim- their philanthropic eff orts.” Gise the outcomes of “Beyond allowing them to their philanthropic eff orts “do good” in their commu- by adopting a more impact- nity, philanthropy could also ful approach, according to a enable GCC family business- recent study by the Ideation es to “do well” provided they Centre, the leading think- follow global family busi- tank for management con- nesses in their adoption of sultancy Strategy& in the impact philanthropy by for- Middle East (formerly Booz & malising their philanthropic Company). engagement and introducing Representing around 90% innovative fi nancial tools as of the private sector econo- well as non-fi nancial support my, GCC family businesses that deliver higher returns. historically have maintained This will in turn enable them a tradition of carrying out to closely monitor and meas- philanthropy activities across ure the impact of their eff orts, the region. ensuring transparency and They are signifi cant players accountability,” said Ramy in the region’s third sector, Sfeir, partner with Strategy& A dangerously loaded pickup being driven on Shamal Road yesterday. The precariously-secured heavy wooden planks, protruding from the vehicle, scared many a motorist. alongside non-governmental and the leader of family busi- PICTURE: Nasar T K (NGOs), nonprofi t organisa- ness, investments, and real tions (NPOs), co-operatives, estate practice. social enterprises, and chari- Strategy& identifi ed only 22 ties. family businesses with a phil- At a minimum, their phil- anthropic foundation in its anthropic contributions in- sample of 100 top GCC fam- clude the religious obliga- ily fi rms. In fact, some family tion to give money to charity businesses have even estab- Workshop mulls road safety audit (Zakat), while most wealthy lished their foundations over- families in the GCC make seas, such as Saudi Arabia’s Al additional contributions Dabbag Group and MBI. he Qatar Transportation their ideas and expertise on issues “CENG is committed to (Sadaqa), Strategy& noted. “As GCC family busi- and Traffi c Safety Centre related to traffi c safety audit. strengthening its research col- On the state of philanthro- nesses start their transition T(QTTSC) at Qatar Univer- Attendees included CENG dean laborations with regional and py amongst GCC family busi- to impact philanthropy, gov- sity College of Engineering (QU- Dr Khalifa al-Khalifa and QTTSC international governmental nesses, Fadi Adra, partner ernments can play a role in CENG) recently hosted a workshop assistant prof Dr Wael Alhajya- and private institutions, and to with Strategy& and a member improving the third sector’s on “Road Safety Audit” to provide seen, as well as CENG faculty and spreading knowledge on road of the public sector practice, ecosystem to overcome chal- information on the necessary ap- staff . safety and accidents prevention said, “We estimate the an- lenges and unlock the full proaches and tools to develop and Speakers were IRF execu- through a wide range of studies nual philanthropic capital of potential of family business evaluate road safety audit. tive vice-president Michael G and research.” 100 of the largest family busi- philanthropy by establishing Organised in collaboration with Dreznes and Fireseeds North Dr Wael Alhajyaseen said: nesses by net worth at a bare a government entity in charge the International Road Federation Infrastructure Road Safety and “Preventive risk assessment minimum of around $7bn. of the third sector, streamlin- (IRF), the workshop brought to- Asset Management engineer Dr tools, such as road safety audits This considerable amount has ing the regulations for setting gether around 40 experts from lo- Craig Milligan. and inspections, are an eff ec- the potential to diversify the up and operating a founda- cal and regional institutions such They provided an overview on Participants at the workshop. tive and essential instrument to economy and contribute to tion, growing the talent pool as the Ministry of Municipality road safety audits and their ap- help road authorities reduce the GDP, create jobs, and address and raising awareness and and Environment, Qatar Petro- plication to roads and highways thorities to reduce the number of eff orts to raise awareness on the number of crashes and casualties critical issues in key areas providing data on the third leum, and Saudi Arabia Ministry in Qatar and beyond, while high- road accidents and fatalities. importance of road safety which because design standards alone such as healthcare and edu- sector,” concluded Maria of Transportation. lighting the signifi cant role of Dr Khalifa al-Khalifa said: “The is considered as one of the Col- cannot guarantee road safety in cation if GCC family busi- Abou Sakr, manager with They discussed and exchanged road safety audits in helping au- event comes in line with CENG’s lege’s key research areas. all conditions.” nesses tailor their approach Strategy&.

A section of the newly married couples at the mass wedding ceremony. QC hosts mass wedding in Indonesia

mass wedding organised by the Qatar Charity (QC) in Jakarta Aand funded by a QR500,000 donation from a Qatari benefactor, has brought marriage, money, and presents for 100 couples. The mass wedding ceremony was held in the presence of Ahmad Yousef al-Mulla, the representative of Qatar Charity CEO Yusuf bin Ahmed al-Ku- wari, the benefactor, and his brothers, a representative of the Minister for Reli- gious Aff airs of Indonesia, members of the Qatari, Saudi, Sudanese and Bos- nian Diplomatic Corps, QC’s Executive Operations Department director Khalid Abdullah al-Yafi e, QC’s Top Donors Re- lations offi cer Khalid al-Hadrami, and a large number of other guests. The mass wedding ceremony was conducted at the Sheraton Jakarta Hotel, which also prepared a wedding feast for the couples, their compan- ions, and guests. Besides, the benefactor off ered $750 per couple to start a new married life. A groom receives a gift from the officials on the occasion. The QC provided the couples with 100 gifts, 10 gifts for the guests, refrig- during the Aceh tsunami, has spon- to bless them and let them enjoy a good erators, washing machines and other sored more than 2,800 orphans since relationship. home appliances. then and has been keen to maintain the “I would like to seize the opportu- The Saudi Arabian ambassador to sponsorship to enhance community nity to highly commend Qatar Char- Indonesia off ered cash amounting to capacity. ity for off ering such chances to let the $54,500 to the couples and ensured the The benefactor who attended the Qatari donors help others and thanks whole expense for going on a pilgrim- wedding ceremony said “We are glad to also go to the Indonesian government age for 10 new families. celebrate with each of you in Indone- and people for the good reception, and QC, which began its work in Indone- sia and also to help 100 young men and the great hospitality,” added the ben- sia in the most diffi cult times of 2004 women marry. We are praying to Allah efactor. Gulf Times 8 Monday, April 10, 2017 QATAR Alfardan Automobiles to unveil BMW M760Li at motor show he upcoming seventh edition East during Qatar Motor Show. The of Qatar Motor Show is set to car will be unveiled with a few cos- Tsee another debut from BMW metic modifi cations that are inspired thanks to Alfardan Automobiles, the from the BMW M4. The 2018 model offi cial BMW Group importer in Qatar, of the Life Cycle Impulse BMW M3 with a brand-new model from the 7 will get adaptive full-LED headlights Series – the M760Li. along with updated M emblems on Qatar Motor Show will take place the front seats, chrome trimmings, from April 18 to 22. electroplated detailing and updated “With the new BMW M760Li taillights. The rear bumper also gets a xDrive, the freshly launched BMW 7 fresh look, thanks to the more angled Series is gaining a prestigious fl agship lower apron treatment coupled with model, which takes driving pleasure body-coloured trim. into a new dimension. Headlined by its Ihab Allam, general manager of Al- exceptional refi nement and supreme fardan Automobiles, said: “Qatar Mo- power delivery at all times, the 12-cyl- tor Show is an exceptional platform inder petrol engine with M Perform- for us to display our latest models, ance TwinPower Turbo technology and the fact that we are making the under the bonnet reinforces the new regional debut of the BMW M3 and car’s range-topping status,” according M760Li highlights the importance of to a press statement. the Qatari market and the role it plays The “boldly dynamic” driving char- in fuelling BMW Group’s growth in acteristics of the BMW M760Li xDrive the region. “combine with superior ride comfort “The BMW 5 Series is yet another to make a compelling statement and strong addition to the solid BMW set a new benchmark” in the luxury Series portfolio, which holds great sedan segment, the statement notes. promise in its ability to combine lux- Another “showstopper” at the mo- ury and performance with even more tor show will be the all-new BMW 5 grace, athleticism, comfort and func- Series. Launched in Qatar this Feb- tionality. We are confi dent that the ruary, the seventh generation of the model will be a success in Qatar.” BMW 5 Series Sedan cuts a “sporty, Also making a preview at the motor elegant and stylish” fi gure with fur- show will be several other BMW mod- ther enhanced dynamics and a line-up els, including the 6 Series Gran Coupe, of assistance systems. 730Li, the X5M and the X6M, the i8, The latest BMW M3 will be pre- and several M models such as the M3 miered for the fi rst time in the Middle and the M2. The BMW M760Li. ‘Biggest’ Mini to be displayed at Qatar Motor Show

he all-new Mini upcoming Qatar Motor BMW Group importer in Qatar. optimised driving performance Countryman will Show, thanks to Alfardan Taking place from April 18 to 22, and fuel consumption fi gures due Tbe on display at the Automobiles, the official the seventh edition of Qatar Mo- to extended MINIMALISM tech- tor Show will allow Mini enthusi- nology- including improved aero- asts to “experience the biggest and dynamic properties and 6-speed most versatile model in the brand’s manual transmission as standard, 57-year history”, according to a 6-speed automatic transmission press statement. as an option. “The all-new Mini Country- Ihab Allam, general manager of man has pursued its path to suc- Alfardan Automobiles, said: “Mini cess both on- and off -road. The being present at Qatar Motor Show large tailgate, fi ve seats and op- this year is a great step to further tional all-wheel drive now gives highlight the brand’s strong pres- an additional boost to the brand’s ence in Qatar, which saw sales advance into the premium com- increase by 7% in 2016. The Mini pact segment,” the statement 3-door Hatch, also on display, and noted. “The latest generation of John Cooper Works models were the Mini Countryman goes even the top performers and contrib- further in terms of the model’s uted to Alfardan Automobiles be- versatility, agility and premium ing named the winner of the Mini character. Thanks to its powerful Middle East Regional Dealer Com- proportions, the new Mini Coun- petition.” tryman has a particularly distinc- Also on display will be the Mini tive presence. Convertible with exterior design “Its unmistakable aura is de- that comprises a balance between fi ned by an extended ground top-class elegance and sporty clearance and raised seating po- The all-new MINI Countryman. fl air. sition, further emphasised by the Qatar Motor Show will be held at Mini ALL4 exterior look and high The all-new Countryman pos- portfolio” comprising 4-cylinder put by 6kW to 141kW/192hp in the Doha Exhibition and Conven- roof rails.” sesses an “impressive engine petrol engines, an increase in out- the Mini Cooper S Countryman, tion Centre.

Etihad Airways teams up with Mumbai Indians for fourth year

tihad Airways has announced that it has once again teamed up with Mumbai Indians for the ongoing E10th edition of the Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 cricket tournament. The Abu Dhabi-based airline is lending its support for the fourth year running to one of the most successful franchise teams in the IPL and one of India’s biggest sports brands since the tour- nament was launched in 2008, the carrier has said in a press statement. The IPL is the richest sporting franchise in India, with Mumbai Indians featuring a mix of both international ex- perience and young talent. Mumbai Indians were crowned champions of the 2013 and 2015 editions of the Indian Premier League. The squad is once again captained by In- dian batsman Rohit Sharma and coached for the fi rst time by Sri Lanka’s former captain Mahela Jayawardena. Patrick Pierce, Etihad Airways vice-president – mar- keting partnerships, said: “We are delighted to once again partner with Mumbai Indians for what promises to be an exciting and thrilling tournament over the next six weeks. “Etihad Airways enjoys a strong sporting tradition. Cricket captures the hearts and minds of people all over India, and in indeed in many parts of the world, so we are pleased to be associated with the IPL watched by mil- lions of cricket lovers globally on TV.” A spokesman for Mumbai Indians added, “Mumbai Indians are delighted to have support from Etihad Air- ways and we are really excited on the season ahead, look- ing forward to enthralling fans with some great cricket.” Etihad Airways’ logo will appear exclusively on the back of shirts worn by the Mumbai Indians in all home and away matches. Under the sponsorship agreement, Etihad Airways will also enjoy extensive branding and messaging beamed across LED pitch-side advertising and on giant screens in Mumbai Indians’ home matches. Etihad Airways operates three fl ights daily between its Abu Dhabi hub and Mumbai. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 9 QATAR Moon coming ‘Agro-industry should close to three planets in April address evolving needs’ esidents of Qatar and west Doha sky around sunrise other countries in the time (5.16am). By Peter Alagos ferent kinds of foods, we have to kets off er organic products. If Rregion can observe On April 16, Saturn will be Business Reporter take these changes into consid- there wasn’t a market then these three planets of the solar sys- nearest to moon by three de- eration according to the needs products would not have been tem close to the moon this grees to the southern moon’s of the country or the population. available,” she said. month, Qatar Calendar House centre at 10pm Doha local s food habits continue to We have to design foods that are She also stressed that au- has said. time. People in Qatar can see change, the agro-indus- suitable for their consumption,” thorities in Qatar make sure that Each of these phenomena Saturn and the moon over Atry should develop ac- she said. imported foods and other prod- is important as there are good the eastern horizon of Doha cording to the requirements and In the past 10 years, el-Obeid ucts meet required government chances of viewing the plan- after Saturn’s rising time – needs of both the country and its said people’s eating habits “were standards. ets along with the moon at the 10.30pm. residents, an expert has said. unhealthy.” Asked about the agro-indus- same time, it can help validate Dr Tahra el-Obeid, an as- “People were eating more try’s role in food security, el- astronomical calculations and On April 16, Saturn sistant professor specialising in meat products and fatty foods. Obeid said, “If we are to focus on be a guide for amateur astron- will be nearest food technology and human nu- But in the last two years, people growing agricultural produce, omers, noted astronomer Dr to moon by three trition at Qatar University’s Col- have started to realise that the we should also focus on grow- Beshir Marzouk has explained. degrees to the lege of Health Sciences, said the rate of diabetes, hypertension, ing commodities that are sus- The fi rst of these phenom- southern moon’s agro-industry should cope with cardiovascular diseases, and tainable without depleting the ena will take place tomorrow, centre at 10pm Doha evolving trends in people’s food cancer cases have increased,” country’s natural resources. when the biggest planet - Ju- local time habits, which, according to her, she pointed out. “While you can import some piter - will be “at two degrees “have changed in the past 100 She noted that people are foods, which is actually cheaper, from the southern full moon’s Finally, Venus will be near years.” now trying “healthier options,” there is also a need to focus on centre at 12.20am”, accord- the moon on April 23 by “Today, people are more con- which has opened up a growing existing foods in Qatar such as ing to Dr Marzouk. Residents fi ve degrees to the northern scious of the diff erent health market for organic products and the country’s rich marine life of the country and the region moon’s centre at 9pm Doha components of the food they eat. similar types of foods. or dates, truffl es, and diff erent can view Jupiter and the moon time. Qatar residents can ob- People are now moving to eating “Most of the restaurants and kinds of plants. To promote the together with their naked eye serve Venus and the moon leaner and healthier foods. If we retail outlets now off er healthy exports of these products would on this occasion. People in together in the dawn sky. Sun- are thinking of production per se options and diff erent types of also create a positive impact,” Qatar will be able to see Jupiter rise in Doha will be at 5.05am or industrialisation of the dif- healthy foods. Even supermar- she said. Dr Tahra el-Obeid, assistant professor, QU’s College of Health Sciences. and the moon over the south- that day. Mada Centre launches e-accessibility programme

he Mada Centre has agencies, including the minis- of training sessions and seminars tantly, the report outlined the have a positive impact on people ment - economic growth, social ernment portal), the Accessible launched a comprehensive tries of Foreign Aff airs, Trans- to more than 25 developers and de- key technical and organisational with disabilities, as well as the integration and environmental Qatar mobile app, the QITCOM Tyear-long project with the port and Communication, Edu- signers over the fi rst quarter of 2017 barriers standing the way of a elderly, those with literacy is- protection. 2017 website amongst others. aim of increasing the e-accessibil- cation and Higher Education, on how to build websites and mo- fully accessible digital landscape sues, and those who access the Previously, the Mada Cen- Access to digital platforms ity of all government websites. The Development Planning and bile apps according to international in Qatar. Internet using a range of tech- tre launched an accreditation and content, as well as the abil- project includes training web de- Statistics, Health and Justice. e-accessibility standards. “We are committed to fulfi ll- nologies and platforms,” added scheme to recognise those web- ity to make use of all types of velopers and designers, audits of e- Additionally, the centre During the fi rst quarter, the ing the rights to digital access al-Mansouri. sites which successfully imple- information and communication accessibility of government web- worked with Qatar Tourism Mada Centre published a base- that are explicitly outlined in the The centre’s eff orts in the ment international e-accessibil- technology is fundamental to sites, and putting in place remedial Authority, Qatar Museums, the line report which examined the United Nations Convention on area of e-accessibility are on- ity standards. Digital platforms building a transparent knowledge steps as part of a comprehensive Supreme Council for Delivery current state of e-accessibility the Rights of people with dis- going and form a critical part of that have been recognised as part based society. This includes the consultation process. and Legacy, Qatar Aeronautical in the country, putting in place abilities, to which Qatar is a sig- its strategy to fulfi l the poten- of the national e-accessibility provision of accessible e-gov- In the fi rst quarter of 2017, College and Communications a foundation on which to meas- natory,” said Maha al-Mansouri, tial of people with disabilities accreditation programme include ernment services, online banking the Mada Centre worked with Regulatory Authority. ure the success of future policy CEO, Mada Centre. and to fulfi l the country’s three the Ministry of Interior web- and other critical services to all 10 government ministries and The centre also off ered a series work in the area. Most impor- “Accessible web content will pillars of sustainable develop- site, Hukoomi (the Qatar e-gov- residents and citizens of Qatar.

Al Ghuwariyah Park opens

Al Ghuwariyah Family Park in Al Khor and Al Thakira Municipality has been opened to the public. Municipality director Juma Khamis al-Muraikhi and Mohamed Ali al-Khuri, director, Public Gardens Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), opened the park in the presence of a number of municipality and MME off icials and other guests. The park occupies a space of 9,234sq m and is equipped with all the necessary facilities.

Katara holds forum to raise IT awareness

atara-the Cultural Village successfully Korganised the Katara Tech Forum recently, aimed at raising public awareness on the latest advances in the fi elds of information and digital technology. “Holding such forums is essential as it stems from Katara’s keenness to boost the awareness and use of technology, which is a key factor in the development of the sector,” Katara gen- eral manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti said at Participants at the Katara Tech Forum. the opening ceremony, at- tended by Katara’s IT de- the positive outcome of “We hope that our eff orts by Usman Durrani. In addi- partment director Thamer this knowledge in terms of will culminate in fi nding tion, the seminar held open al-Qadi. driving the youth to further better means to make our discussions, engaging the “It enhances discussions, contribute towards the de- world cope with the rapid audience in the open forum. seminars and lectures relat- velopment of our country’s and unprecedented tech- One of the participants, ed to the IT fi eld,” he noted. economy.” nological revolution today, Woqod Institute, presented The forum is scheduled He said they are keen and that this forum will of- a new micro-chip, which to take place on the fi rst to address issues faced by fer real opportunities to was developed to facilitate Wednesday of every month. the youth in relation to IT, Qatari youth as they march in fuelling cars with petrol. Dr al-Sulaiti stressed and assists in fi nding so- towards the future equipped The Qatar Computing that the forum is designed lutions to these problems with knowledge and hope,” Research Institute at Hamad to attract young Qatari tal- by coordinating with con- he stressed. Bin Khalifa University at- ent and promote public cerned government bodies Part of the programme tended the forum and pre- awareness on “the impact and scientifi c and research includes a lecture about sented a project related to of IT on our lives today and institutions. cyber security presented the fi eld. Gulf Times 10 Monday, April 10, 2017 REGION/ARAB WORLD

MGD-Lifestyle Jewellery’s first outlet opens in Oman Minister says no income taxes for Saudi citizens

Reuters ambitious reform plan. Doha Saudis currently do not pay any income tax, nor are Saudi companies taxed on audi Arabia’s finance their profits. minister said yester- He also said a value-added Sday that citizens would tax planned for 2018 would not pay taxes on income and “not be raised above 5% be- Saudi companies would not fore 2020”. see their profits taxed under The six Gulf Co-operation sweeping economic reforms Council states are aiming to being introduced in the king- introduce a 5% value-added dom. tax at the start of next year to The collapse in oil prices raise non-oil revenues. after mid-2014 has pushed But economists and offi- Saudi Arabia to contemplate cials in some countries have a radical overhaul of all parts said privately that simul- of its economy, including taneous introduction in all new taxes, privatisations, a countries may not be feasi- changed investment strategy ble. and sharp cuts in government That is because of the spending. complexity of creating the Mohamed al-Jadaan administrative infrastructure MGD – Lifestyle Jewellery’s first outlet in Oman was jointly inaugurated on April 6 by Ben Watson, general manager, Oman Avenues Mall along with Khamis al-Mandhari, sought in a statement carried to collect the tax and the dif- director – Malabar Gold & Diamonds (MGD), Oman in the presence of Shamlal Ahamed, managing director – International Operations, MGD, KP Abdul Salam, group by state news agency SPA ficulty of training companies executive director, Malabar Group, and other dignitaries. to allay concern that people to comply with it in a region would be taxed as part of the where taxation is minimal.

Foiled attack US envoy says Assad must on camera

AFP Aden go after ‘chemical attack’

emeni authorities re- AFP Haley said peace in Syria was Tillerson will also press Rus- “take additional action, as its chemical armaments in 2013, aggression”, a statement from leased footage yesterday Beirut impossible with Assad in power. sia on its failure to prevent Syria necessary and appropriate, to after being accused of a sarin Moscow said. Yof the killing of a would- “There’s not any sort of op- using chemical weapons, he said further its important national attack outside Damascus that Both leaders also said they be suicide bomber moments be- tion where a political solution in interviews aired yesterday. interests”. killed hundreds of people. backed “an objective inquiry” fore he detonated his explosives ashington’s UN am- is going to happen with Assad “I don’t draw conclusions Syria’s government has de- But there have been repeated into the Khan Sheikhun incident at a checkpoint in the southern bassador said that at the head of the regime,” she of complicity at all, but clearly nied any involvement in Tues- allegations of chemical weap- has also caused a diplomatic spat city of Aden. WSyria’s President told the “State of the Union” they’ve been incompetent and day’s attack on Khan Sheikhun, ons use by the government since between Moscow and London. In the video posted online, Bashar al-Assad cannot stay in programme. perhaps they’ve just simply suspected to be the second- then. British Foreign Secretary Boris Aden’s anti-terrorism squad doc- power after a suspected chemi- “If you look at his actions, if been out-maneuvered by the deadliest chemical weapons Syria’s closest allies Russia Johnson has cancelled a trip to umented its surveillance of the as- cal attack that prompted the you look at the situation, it’s Syrians,” he told ABC’s This attack since the country’s war and Iran have defended Da- Russia over its support for As- sailant as he approached his target fi rst direct US military action going to be hard to see a govern- Week. After years of calling for began in March 2011. mascus against the allegations sad, prompting Moscow’s for- on Saturday in the Tawahi district against his government. ment that’s peaceful and stable Assad’s removal during former It killed at least 87 civilians, of chemical weapons use, with eign ministry to say London has of the port city. The video shows Nikki Haley’s comments in with Assad.” president Barack Obama’s ten- including 31 children, according Moscow saying a conventional “no real infl uence”. And yester- the alleged bomber dressed in an interview airing yesterday “Regime change is something ure, Washington appeared to to the Syrian Observatory for strike hit a rebel depot contain- day, British Defence Secretary military fatigues and armed as he came as part of an apparent that we think is going to happen,” be stepping back from seeking Human Rights, a Britain-based ing “toxic substances”. Iran’s Michael Fallon accused Russia of walked towards the checkpoint, shift in US policy towards As- she said, adding that Washing- regime change in Syria in recent monitor. President Hassan Rouhani being responsible “by proxy” for before a disguised offi cer shot him sad’s government after the al- ton was also focused on fi ghting weeks. Hundreds more suff ered called Assad to reaffi rm his sup- deaths in the suspected chemi- dead after getting a tip off from leged chemical attack last week the Islamic State group in Syria Before the Khan Sheikhun at- symptoms that the World port for the Syrian leader in the cal attack. More than 320,000 agents in a watching car. on the rebel-held town of Khan and ending Iranian infl uence. tack, Tillerson said Assad’s fate Health Organisation said were wake of the US strike, Rouhani’s people have been killed in Syria Other offi cers arrived and Sheikhun that killed 87 people, US Secretary of State Rex should be decided by the Syrian in some cases consistent with offi ce said yesterday. since the confl ict began, and quickly stripped off an explo- including many children. Tillerson insisted ahead of people, suggesting Washington exposure to chemicals that in- Rouhani said allegations that strikes have continued since the sive belt worn by the man whose Images of civilians suff er- Moscow talks tomorrow that would not oppose him standing clude nerve gas. Assad’s regime was behind a suspected chemical attack. body was then lying in a pool of ing the apparent eff ects of a gas defeating IS in Syria remained for re-election. The nature of the substance chemical weapons attack were On Saturday, one woman was blood, the footage showed. Aden attack, including convulsions, Washington’s top priority. But in the aftermath of the at- used has not been confi rmed, “baseless” and suggested it was killed in a suspected Russian air security spokesman Abdulrah- vomiting and foaming at the “It’s important that we keep tack, Trump ordered the strike and Syria has insisted it would carried out by rebel groups to strike on Khan Sheikhun, the man al-Naqeeb said in a state- mouth, provoked international our priorities straight. And we targeting the Shayrat air base in not and has not used chemical infl uence global public opinion. Observatory said. ment that police acted on “ac- outrage and prompted US Pres- believe that the fi rst priority is central Syria’s Homs province weapons. Rouhani and Russian Presi- New strikes hit outside the curate information that allowed ident Donald Trump to order a the defeat of ISIS,” he told CBS with 59 Tomahawk missiles. Assad’s government signed dent Vladimir Putin also spoke town yesterday, with no imme- the team to follow the move- strike on a Syrian airbase. television’s “Face the Nation” And his administration in- the Chemical Weapons Con- by telephone about “the unac- diate reports of casualties, the ments” of the would-be bomber. In the interview with CNN, being broadcast later. formed Congress that it could vention and agreed to turn over ceptable nature of American monitor added.

Hardline prosecutor emerges as main challenger to Rouhani

Reuters Iranian news agencies he said the London fi rst step to resolving Iran’s eco- nomic problems was a change of leadership, asking voters to sup- ardline cleric Ebrahim port a “competent and knowl- Raisi, seen as pragma- edgeable” government under his Htist President Hassan command. Rouhani’s main challenger in a Khamenei appointed Raisi in May 19 election, is a close ally 2016 as the custodian of Astan of Iran’s supreme leader and de- Qods Razavi, an organisation in spises the West. charge of a multi-billion-dollar The hardline faction in Te- Ebrahim Raisi religious foundation that man- hran appears to have reached ages donations to the country’s consensus on the candidacy of bring more freedoms at home. holiest shrine in the northern the 57-year-old cleric, hoping to No other candidate won more city of Mashhad. avoid splitting the vote of those than 17% of the vote. But this The religious conglomerate, avid for what they see as a revival time around Rouhani could face whose economic arm lists 36 of the values of the 1979 Islamic a tougher challenge, if a single subsidiary companies and insti- revolution. hardliner like Raisi unifi es con- tutes on its website, owns mines, Raisi is a mid-ranking fi gure servatives against him and forces textile factories, a pharmaceuti- Planes take part in flyover during a joint Sudan and Saudi Arabia air force drill at the Marwa air base, near Meroe some 350 kilometres north of in the hierarchy of Iran’s clergy a second round. cal plant and even a major oil and Khartoum, yesterday. but has been a senior offi cial for Rouhani’s signature achieve- gas fi rm. decades in the judiciary which ment, a deal with world pow- Even before the revolution, enforces clerical control of the ers to curb Iran’s nuclear pro- “those who led this endowment country. gramme in return for lifting were very close to the head of The former prosecutor-gen- fi nancial sanctions, has yet to state, to the supreme power of Sudan, Riyadh boost ties with joint air force drill eral may struggle for recognition bring the broadbased economic the country,” a former senior among voters, though analysts benefi ts that the government Iranian diplomat told Reuters on say Raisi, thanks to the support says are coming. condition of anonymity. “Raisi AFP that relations between Sudan Sudan took part in the exer- connected with that of coun- he enjoys from Supreme Leader Some supporters also say they has lots of power.” Meroe, Sudan and Saudi Arabia are pro- cise with more than two dozen tries across the region, we are Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, could are disheartened by the slow Insiders said Khamenei, who gressing,” Bashir said during fi ghter planes including MiG- building military and security pose a real challenge to Rouha- pace of domestic change. outranks the elected president a ceremony at the Meroe air 29s and Sukhoi jets, defence of- co-operation with our neigh- ni’s bid for a second term. Raisi has tapped into hardline in Iran’s system, had approved resident Omar al-Ba- base, 350 kilometres north of fi cials said. bouring countries,” said Bashir, “His candidacy comes as a criticism of Rouhani’s record, Raisi’s candidacy. shir said a joint Saudi- Khartoum, to mark the end of Saudi Arabia sent F-15 fi ghter who wore a military uniform for surprise and he defi nitely poses a saying the president bet too Raisi resigned last week from P Sudanese air force drill 12-day drill. jets and Eurofi ghter Typhoons. the ceremony. challenge, a big one, to Rouhani,” strongly on rapprochement with the election supervision board, that ended yesterday had Offi cials said the fi rst ever Bashir said the Sudanese Analysts say warmer ties be- said Hossein Rassam, a former enemies and did too little at a position which would not have boosted relations between joint Saudi-Sudanese air ex- military was playing a “key tween Riyadh and Khartoum Iran adviser to Britain’s Foreign home to improve the economy. allowed him to run in elections. the countries, two years af- ercise was intended to boost role” in improving Khartoum’s serve both countries. Offi ce. “Our problems are not some- “Without Khamenei’s ap- ter Khartoum broke ties with the two air forces’ operational ties with Saudi Arabia and other Saudi fi ghter pilots are set to “Chances are even greater thing to be resolved by Ameri- proval, Raisi could not resign Iran. capacities and promote co-op- Gulf countries. stage an air show in Khartoum now that we will be having a cans and Westerners,” Raisi from his current position to run “The air force drill showed eration. “As Sudanese security is from today to April 12. two-round election in Iran, with said in September.”They have for the presidency,” said a sen- a very polarised second round.” not resolved a single problem of ior offi cial, who asked not to be Rouhani was elected four any country. They have brought named. “He is a very strong rival JUSTICE years ago in a landslide, avoid- nothing but misery to other na- for Rouhani.” Three executed for heroin smuggling The state-run SPA news agency said the three had been found guilty ing a run-off by securing more tions.” Raisi’s bid for the presidency of “smuggling quantities of heroin in their stomachs”. It named the than 50% of the vote in the fi rst Raisi announced his intention alarms some reformists because Saudi Arabia yesterday executed three Pakistani nationals convicted of three men as Mohamed Ashraf Shafi Mohamed, Mohamed Aref round, on promises to reduce to run yesterday. of his long service in Iran’s hard- smuggling heroin. Mohamed Anayt and Mohamed Afdal Asghar Ali. Iran’s international isolation and In a statement published on line judiciary. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 11 ARAB WORLD

Double car bomb attack First Palm Sunday near foiled

AFP Habbaniyah, Iraq Mosul in three years Reuters raqi forces yesterday foiled Qaraqosh, Iraq a double suicide car bomb Iattack by the Islamic State group on a remote border cross- undreds of Christians ing with Syria, offi cers and local fl ocked to the Iraqi town offi cials said. Hof Qaraqosh yesterday “The attack was launched to celebrate Palm Sunday for the from the desert on the Iraqi side fi rst time in three years, packing of the border,” said a senior mili- into a church torched by Islamic tary offi cer with an army division State to take communion at its stationed in Rutba, the near- ruined altar. est town. The Al-Walid cross- In October, Iraqi forces ex- ing, which lies 515 kilometres pelled the militants from west of Baghdad, was attacked Qaraqosh as part of a cam- shortly after midnight. paign to retake nearby Mosul, “The attack was repelled by the country’s second-largest the tribal forces manning the city seized by the group in June crossing, with the aerial sup- 2014. port of the international coali- Iraq’s biggest Christian set- tion,” the officer said. tlement until the militants ar- The officer and a local of- rived, Qaraqosh has been a ficial from Anbar — the vast ghost town as most residents western province which has are still too afraid to come back borders with Syria, Jordan and with the battle for Mosul, locat- Saudi Arabia — said the tribal ed 20km away, still raging. fighters neutralised the two ve- But yesterday church bells hicles before they could reach rang again across the town. the border position. Hundreds arrived in cars from The Iraqi border guard has a Erbil, the main city in autono- presence at the Trebil border mous Iraqi Kurdistan where crossing with Jordan further most Christians had fl ed when south but the Al-Walid post is Islamic State gave them an ul- guarded by a local tribal force timatum to pay special taxes, known as the Desert Hawks. convert or die. It is comprised of around “We need reconciliation,” 100 men from Anbar clans and Syriac Catholic Archbishop of their commander is Shaker al- Mosul Butrus Moshe told wor- Rishawi. shippers in the Immaculate Iraqi forces have over the Conception Church guarded by past 18 months retaken most army jeeps. of the major towns and cities in Islamic State has targeted mi- Iraqi Christian residents of Qaraqosh, some 30kms east of Mosul, attend the first Palm Sunday service at the heavily damaged Church of the Immaculate Conception yesterday. Anbar but IS retains some fixed nority communities in both Iraq positions near the Syria border and Syria, setting churches on prayer books littered the fl oor. Week that culminates on Easter dates back to the fi rst century the Islamic State takeover of burnt so if people return where and some desert hideouts that fi re. Escorted by soldiers carry- Sunday, holding up a banner AD. The number of Christians Mosul purged the city of Chris- can they live?” said Aziz Yash- allow it to continue harassing Scribbled “Islamic State” ing rifl es, the congregation then saying “In times of war we bring fell sharply during the violence tians for the fi rst time in two ou, a worshipper. “We call for government troops across the slogans could be still seen on the walked through Qaraqosh for peace.” which followed the 2003 over- millennia. an international protection in province. church’s walls while torn-up Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Christianity in northern Iraq throw of Saddam Hussein, and “Almost 75% of houses were order to live here.”

ONE SMOKER. Smoke rises during clashes in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon, south Lebanon, yesterday. TWO PATIENTS. Toll in clashes at Lebanon camp rises to fi ve: medics

AFP Palestinian medics said yesterday have ist to surrender with their weapons. Sidon, Lebanon now killed fi ve people and wounded at And around noon, the intensity of the TOBACCO KILLS least 30, mostly civilians. clashes decreased after earlier fi ght- Among the dead were two civilians, ing that sent clouds of black smoke up he toll in two days of clashes in two members of the joint Palestinian from the camp. a Palestinian refugee camp in security force and one member of the Ain al-Hilweh is home to multiple TLebanon rose to fi ve yesterday, extremist group, the medical sources armed factions, and has been plagued medics said, as local factions worked said. The fi ghting has prompted secu- by intermittent clashes between them to implement a security plan. rity measures outside the camp, which as well as against smaller extremist Clashes erupted in the camp late Lebanese security forces do not enter groups. Friday as Palestinian factions partici- by long-standing agreement. Lebanon’s army does not enter Pal- pating in a joint security force began An adjacent highway has been cut estinian refugee camps, where secu- deploying throughout the area in the and patients moved from the Sidon rity is managed by joint committees of southern city of Sidon. governmental hospital next to the Palestinian factions. They came under fi re from a local camp. Palestinian offi cials in the camp Ain al-Hilweh is home to some extremist group in part of the camp, called yesterday on remaining mem- 61,000 Palestinians, including 6,000 prompting clashes that Lebanese and bers of a group led by a local extrem- who have fl ed the war in Syria.

Israel calls on citizens to leave Sinai

AFP day, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility. Jerusalem “The fatal terrorist attacks which took place today refl ect once again the terror capability of the Islamic State,” the Is- raeli government anti-terror bureau said in a statement. srael updated its warning against travel to neighbour- “In light of the gravity of the threat, the anti-terror bu- ing Egypt’s Sinai region yesterday, citing deadly bomb reau advises Israelis currently in the Sinai to leave immedi- Iattacks on Egyptian churches and calling on Israelis al- ately and return to Israel.” ready visiting to leave immediately. Last month the bureau issued a similar warning against Two church bombings, one in the city of Tanta and the travel to the Sinai, a popular destination for Israelis over the Issued in Public Interest by GULF TIMES other in Alexandria, killed at least 43 people earlier yester- week-long Passover holiday that starts at sunset today. Gulf Times 12 Monday, April 10, 2017 AFRICA 10 die as new Show of faith Somali army chief escapes car bombing

AFP The attack was the latest deadly incident in Mogadishu days, after a car bomb in Mogadishu left seven dead Wednesday, a landmine killed 19 Thursday and a mortar attack left three dead on Friday. omalia’s new army chief yesterday escaped While the Al Qaeda-linked Shebaab have lost A member of the Catholic Christian clergy blesses worshippers with holy water during a Palm Sunday ceremony in Nairobi yesterday. a car bombing that killed at least 10 people large swathes of territory and were forced out of Sin a bloody response by Shebaab militants Mogadishu by African Union troops in 2011, they to the president’s declaration of war on the group. continue to strike in the capital and countryside. A suicide bomber drove a car packed with ex- Widely known by his nickname Farmajo, the India, China navies stop plosives into Mohamed Jama Irfi d’s convoy near president took offi ce in February and faces a the defence ministry in Mogadishu, just days after struggle to improve security in the deeply unsta- pirate attack on vessel he was named to the top army job on Thursday by ble Horn of Africa nation. President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Bomb attacks have become a regular and bloody Five dead in Mali Chinese navy ship supported by an “Initial information indicates that the military feature of daily life in the capital since the Shebaab Indian navy helicopter thwarted an chief has narrowly escaped the attack,” the She- were forced out of Mogadishu six years ago. Aattack on a Tuvalu-fl agged mer- baab said in a statement published on the website Farmajo had told a press conference on Thurs- chant ship by suspected Somali pirates, In- of the extremist group’s Andalus radio station, day that he was declaring a new war on the She- dia’s defence ministry said yesterday. claiming responsibility for the blast. baab and off ering an amnesty to militants who militant attack The ship, known as OS 35, was reported Senior army offi cial Muktar Adan Moalim told surrendered within 60 days. to be under attack on Saturday. AFP that seven civilians and three members of the The rest, he said, would “face the consequenc- The Indian defence ministry said four of security forces had been killed in the bombing. es”. AFP the hopes of bringing stability to the north, its navy ships in the vicinity responded to “A minibus loaded with explosives rammed a “I am announcing a state of war in the country Bamako the cradle of several Tuareg uprisings and a a distress signal from the ship and reached civilian bus while trying to hit the convoy of the and call on the public to stand with the national sanctuary for Islamist fi ghters. the bulk carrier early yesterday. military chief,” he said. army to help fi ght terrorists,” said Farmajo. Under the agreement, interim authorities It said that the crew had taken refuge in An AFP reporter saw fi ve dead bodies and body “We request you put down your arms and call Tuareg-led group in Mali said yester- will represent the inhabitants of Mali’s fi ve the ship’s strong room, know as the citadel, parts scattered across the scene of the explosion on you to come out of them and join the devel- day fi ve of its fi ghters were killed on northern regions until security improves so once they learnt they were under attack in after the attack around midday. opment of your people. We promise you will get ASaturday in an attack blamed on mili- that local elections can be held. line with established safe shipping operat- Security forces blocked off the entire district good care if you join us,” he said. tants, a week after a national peace summit Implementation of the peace accord how- ing procedures. around the defence ministry. “We will not wait for the violent elements to called for talks with militants in the coun- ever has been piecemeal and insurgents who “An Indian Navy helicopter undertook Security offi cial Ali Abdirahman confi rmed continue blowing up people, we must attack them try’s north. refused to sign the deal are still active across aerial reconnaissance of the merchant ves- that the army chief and other senior military and liberate areas they are stationed.” “Our base in Gargando was attacked on large parts of the country. sel at night, and at sunrise...(to) ascertain leaders who had been in the convoy were unhurt. The fragile central government continues Saturday by Islamist terrorists,” Oumar Ag Mali’s north fell under the control of mili- the location of pirates, if still on board,” the A witness, Abdirahman Isa, said the passenger to have international backing as well as the Keling, a member of the Tuareg-led Con- tant groups linked to Al Qaeda in 2012 who defence ministry said in a statement. bus that had been passing the scene “was com- 22,000-strong AU force. gress for Justice in Azawad (CJA), told AFP. hijacked the rebel uprising, though the Is- “Subsequently...a boarding party from the pletely destroyed and there were several dead But the Shebaab have vowed to defeat Farma- Gargando is a small town about 170km lamists were largely ousted by a French-led nearby Chinese Navy ship went on board the bodies” which were “completely smashed and jo’s new administration, promising a “merciless” west of the historic city of Timbuktu. military operation in January 2013. merchant ship, while the Indian Naval heli- burned in the blast”. war against him. “They killed four of our fi ghters, as well In another attack, a member of a pro-gov- copter provided air cover for the operation.” as the village chief,” Keling said, adding that ernment group was killed on Friday in the The defence ministry said all the 19 Fili- the jihadist rebels were “of many nation- northeast village of Anefi s, according to an pino crew of the ship were safe and the cap- alities, according to the documents found at international security source, but they could tain of the ship thanked the Indian ships for the scene”. not identify the perpetrators. their response and for providing air cover. Dry spell A Malian military offi cial confi rmed the Mali’s extremists did not sign the 2015 John Steed of aid group Oceans Beyond deaths, saying that “it was terrorists from peace deal that aimed to quell separatist up- Piracy told Reuters the ship was sailing un- Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb who were risings in the north and have continued to der navy escort to its next port. responsible for the attack, because the CJA wreak havoc. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Op- was becoming a powerful force in the re- In a separate development, President Ib- erations, which coordinates shipping in the gion”. rahim Boubacar Keita appointed defence Gulf of Aden area, said on its website the pi- For more than a month, the CJA — formed minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga, 59, as rates had used a skiff to approach the vessel. in October 2016 to gain a bigger voice in the prime minister, replacing Modibo Keita who The attempted hijacking comes days af- peace process for the Tuareg ethnic com- had been in offi ce since January 2015, ac- ter pirates seized an Indian dhow that was munity of Kel Ansar, in Mali’s northwest — cording to a decree issued Saturday night. on route to Bossaso from Dubai. has opposed the installation of interim local Maiga, who was the president’s campaign Experts said some ship owners were becom- authorities in Timbuktu, a central part of a manager during the 2013 election, is to meet ing lax after a long period of calm, and that some peace deal signed in 2015. several political parties on the formation of were using a route known as the Socotra Gap, The rebels signed the deal along with the a new government, according to his entou- between Somalia and Socotra Island, regardless government and pro-Bamako militias in rage. He is Keita’s fourth prime minister. of the piracy risks, to save time and cost.

S Africa’s $72bn nuclear project to move in June

Reuters rica’s only nuclear power station, of readiness to procure” more nu- cided in March 2018, the news- Johannesburg wants nuclear power to play the clear power. “National Treasury is paper said, and the contract will leading role in expanded power not in a position to publicly dis- be signed between December generation, easing the country’s close the discussions,” she said. 2018 and March 2019. outh Africa’s tender for reliance on an ageing fl eet of The City Press reported that Critics of the plan have raised the estimated 1tn rand coal-fi red plants. an internal Eskom document in- questions about environmental S($72bn) expansion of its It has asked Eskom to procure dicates that the country’s nuclear risks and costs. nuclear power plants will begin an additional 9,600 megawatts programme will get underway. “The undeniable fact is that Newly displaced Somali women and children walk to a food distribution point at the Kaxda in June when state utility Eskom (MW) of capacity. According to the document, South Africa cannot aff ord, and district, outskirts of Mogadishu. Somalia, a Horn of Africa country of 12mn people, is facing requests proposals from compa- Rebutting the report, National Eskom will issue requests for does not need, the nuclear deal,” its third famine in 25 years of civil war and anarchy. At least 260,000 people died in the 2011 nies bidding for the project, City Treasury head of communica- proposals in June, set the dead- Natasha Mazzone, the opposi- famine in Somalia — half of them children under the age of five, according to the UN World Press newspaper reported yes- tion Yolisa Tyantsi said a meet- line for bids in September and for tion Democratic Alliance’s shad- Food Program. terday. ing or presentation with Eskom evaluation in December. ow minister of public enterpris- South Africa, which has Af- on March 28 “was not on the state The winning bidder will be de- es, said in a statement.

Ethiopian band wins fans by melding rock with African sounds

By Chris Stein, AFP Ethiopian music is gener- traditional jazz, the satisfaction During the 14-year commu- said Dibekulu Tafesse, another of Laswell told AFP in a telephone the musical arrangements, eve- Addis Ababa ally known for its distinctly never (fi nishes),” said Melaku nist regime of Mengistu Haile Jano’s vocalists. interview. rything is from here,” singer non-Western scales and instru- Belay, owner of Fendika, a club Mariam, jazz was suppressed and “At fi rst, we were afraid to in- When Jano began perform- Haleluya Tekletsadik said. mentation, and is a staple of the where crowds gather for Friday many musicians fl ed the country. troduce it,” he said. “Some peo- ing after two years of rehearsals, The rise of Jano comes amid a t a hotel in Addis Ababa nightlife in the Ethiopian capital. night showcases of traditional Though the musical culture ple are so confused. At the same audiences were sometimes taken wave of musical diversifi cation in well-known for hosting At open-air beer gardens, music by the dozens of ethnic has experienced a rebirth in the time, it’s not our culture.” aback by their unconventional Ethiopia, said Henock Temesgen, Ajazz greats, thousands of young people dance shoulder- groups in the country. years since Mengistu’s 1991 oust- Jano was assembled in 2011 by style. “Usually in our country, a bassist who has played with fans lined up on a Saturday night shaking jigs to playlists that al- Ethiopia’s music scene was not er, rock music has not developed Addis Gessesse, a band manager most bands perform standing several Ethiopian jazz acts. to headbang along with what is ternate between Ethiopian sing- always so free. much of a following in Ethiopia, and concert promoter, who has still,” said Dibekulu. “A lot of bands are trying to still a rarity in Ethiopia’s diverse ers and hip-hop hits by west since cut ties with the group. Not Jano, which prides itself experiment with mixing Ethio music scene — a rock band. African artists like Sarkodie and The band’s sound drifted away on its energetic stage presence. music with other elements, like Jano, named after a popular Davido. from the reggae, jazz and pop “People usually think we are jazz. Jano is just one element of item of traditional clothing, has Perhaps no style of Ethiopian that dominate Ethiopia’s music high..., but we’re not,” he added. that,” Henock said, adding that made a name for itself in Africa’s music is better known outside scene as it took on new members. While the guitar riff s in Jano’s before Jano, there was no real second most populous country, the country than its unique kind “When we fi rst came together, songs would not be out of place rock band in the country. as well as abroad, by blending lo- of jazz, pioneered by musicians we didn’t have the plan to create on an Aerosmith or Guns N’ Jano plans to release a second cal styles of music with Western such as Mulatu Astatke and a rock band. Everybody has their Roses record, much of the song- album in the coming months, rock and roll. Mahmoud Ahmed, and known own inspiration,” said Dibekulu. writing is distinct to the Horn of and regularly performs abroad, “We’re trying to make some- worldwide as Ethio-jazz. Bill Laswell, a New York-based Africa. including in the Middle East, US thing very, very diff erent,” said The longstanding jazz cul- bassist and producer who worked The vocalists sing in Amharic, and Europe. Hailu Amerga, one of four vo- ture evolved from a brass band on Jano’s fi rst album, Ertale Ethiopia’s main language; the While their shows are popu- calists in the eight-piece, mixed movement that was begun by an (2012), worried how the genre keyboardist sometimes emulates lar with the Ethiopian diaspora, ensemble, that also features a Armenian band brought to the would go down in Ethiopia. the sound of a masinko, a string Dibekulu said Jano has wider ap- drummer, keyboard player, gui- country by Haile Selassie, Ethio- “I thought the rock thing instrument used in music across peal. tarist and bassist. pia’s last emperor, after he saw would be kind of risky with the the region; and the ululating of “There were Africans, Lati- “Rock, it was really far away it perform in Jerusalem during a older audience, but I thought the the female vocalists is typical of nos,” he said, of their last show from our country, and it’s not our visit in the 1920s. The Jano band — a rare rock band in Ethiopia — has been playing younger audience would be... Ethiopia’s traditional music. in New York. “Everybody enjoyed tradition,” he said. “When...you give them that locally and touring Europe for the past five years. ready for what they were doing,” “The melodies are from here, our music.” Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 13 AMERICAS

British Columbia Trump on the move amends workplace act on high heels

Guardian News and Media ing, as well as possible damage Toronto to the feet, legs and back from prolonged wearing of high heels while at work.” he provincial government The minister for labour, in British Columbia, Shirley Bond, acknowledged TCanada, has amended Weaver for starting the proc- workplace legislation to prevent ess. “I’d like to recognise and employers to force women to thank Dr Weaver... wear high heels at work. This change will let employ- BC Green party leader An- ers know that the most critical drew Weaver fi led a private part of an employee’s footwear member’s bill in March “de- is that it is safe. signed to prevent employers I expect employers to recog- from setting varying footwear nise this very clear signal that and other requirements based forcing someone to wear high on gender, gender expression heels at work is unacceptable.” or gender identity”. Amendments to the com- Rather than adopting Weav- pensation act will “ensure that er’s bill, the BC government in- workplace footwear is of a de- stead amended footwear rules sign, construction and mate- under the province’s 1996 rial that allows the worker to Workers Compensation Act, safely perform their work and which did not mention high ensures that employers cannot heels. require footwear contrary to “In some workplaces in our this standard”. province, women are required Employment experts say a to wear high heels on the job. broader discussion is needed President Donald Trump leaves Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Like most British Colum- about the pressures faced by bians, our government thinks women to spend more time this is wrong. and money on their looks than That is why we’re changing men, and the expectations in this regulation to stop this un- some industries that short safe and discriminatory prac- skirts and lipstick are worn. tice,” said BC premier Christy “When you think about dress Trump Clark. and physical appearance, wom- A mandatory high-heel en face higher standards in a lot dress code “is a workplace of cases than men,” Julie Nu- aide to health and safety issue”, she gent, vice-president of the Cat- Move to impeach said. “There is a risk of physi- alyst Research Centre for Cor- cal injury from slipping or fall- porate Practice told CTV news. become envoy to Computer hack sets governor cleared Singapore off 156 emergency Reuters sirens in Dallas by top court Palm Beach resident Donald Trump’s The governor faces impeachment for ment, “This is a great day for the Constitu- deputy national security Reuters in an e-mailed statement. Vaz inappropriate comment tion of Alabama.” Padviser, K T McFarland, is Dallas cited industry experts as say- The Judiciary Committee will make a rec- expected to step down and has ing the hack was among the Reuters ommendation to the full House on whether been off ered the position of US largest ever to aff ect emergen- Alabama to impeach Bentley. ambassador to Singapore, a US computer hack set off cy sirens, with most breaches Ross Garber, an attorney for Bentley, said offi cial said yesterday. all the emergency sirens triggering one or two. “This is his legal team would submit briefs to the Su- The move comes as Trump’s Ain Dallas for about 90 a very, very rare event,” he said. he Alabama Supreme Court ruled preme Court by 1pm CDT today, the dead- national security adviser, H R minutes overnight in one of the Engineers are working to re- on Saturday that impeachment pro- line set by the justices. McMaster, retools the national largest known breaches of a si- start the system, he said. Until Tceedings against Governor Robert “It’s disappointing to hear the Committee security team he inherited from ren warning system, offi cials in the sirens are running, Dallas Bentley can start next week, halting a court will plow forward while the Supreme Court retired General Michael Flynn, the Texas city said on Saturday. will rely on local media, emer- order that had blocked hearings stemming is considering the case,” he said in a state- who resigned as Trump’s fi rst Dallas’ 156 sirens, normally gency 911 phone calls, and a from his relationship with a former aide. ment. national security adviser in Feb- used to warn of tornadoes and federal radio alert system, Vaz Bentley, a 74-year-old Republican, has A state court on Friday had rejected Bent- ruary. other dangerous weather, were said. battled impeachment eff orts over the last ley’s request to block the Judiciary Commit- The 65-year-old McFarland is triggered at 11.42pm CDT on The hack is being inves- year and has defi ed calls from political lead- tee from releasing evidence about wrong- a former national security ana- Friday. The wailing did not end tigated by system engineers ers that he stand down. doing stemming from his relationship with lyst for Fox News and was one until 1:17am CDT on Saturday and the Federal Communica- The 7-0 decision by the high court allows Mason to be used for impeachment pro- of Trump’s original hires after when engineers manually shut tions Commission has been impeachment proceedings to begin in the Alabama Governor Robert Bentley. ceedings. he was elected president on No- down the sirens’ radio system contacted, but police have not House of Representatives’ Judiciary Com- The committee’s report accused Bentley vember 8. and repeaters, city Emergency been involved, he said. The si- mittee on Monday even as justices consider relationship began to dominate Alabama of ordering state law enforcement offi c- News of her pending depar- Management Director Rocky rens went through 15 cycles of new fi lings in the case. Bentley, who is in his politics. ers to track down copies of an embarrass- ture came less than a week after Vaz said. a 90-second activation before second term, is accused of inappropriate use In its ruling, the Supreme Court stayed a ing recording that suggested an aff air with Trump removed his chief strate- “At this point, we can tell they were shut down, he said. of state resources. temporary restraining order issued by a cir- Mason. It also accused him of retaliating gist, Steve Bannon, from a seat you with a good deal of confi - The wailing sirens triggered His troubles began last year when record- cuit court judge on Friday. against an offi cial who discovered the re- on the National Security Council dence that this was somebody a fi restorm of speculation and ings surfaced of him making suggestive re- The order had halted the impeachment lationship. On Wednesday, the Alabama at the urging of McMaster. outside of our system that got reaction on Twitter, with Gar- marks to a former adviser, Rebekah Mason, process until hearings could be held on Ethics Commission also found that Bent- Flynn was forced to resign on in there and activated our si- rett S Bacak at @theinsidi- before his wife of 50 years fi led for divorce Bentley’s claim that lawmakers did not give ley probably violated ethics and campaign February 13 over his contacts rens,” he told reporters. ousone tweeting, “Go home in August 2015. enough time to present an adequate de- fi nance laws. with Russia’s ambassador to the The breach in the city of dallas, you’re drunk”. Bentley has denied having a physical af- fence. Bentley said after the ethics commission United States, Sergei Kislyak, 1.6mn people was believed to Glynn Wilcox wrote on @ fair with Mason, who is married. Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike fi ndings that he had no intention of resign- prior to Trump taking offi ce on have originated in the area, city glynnwilcox, “At this point I’m She resigned as questions about the pair’s Jones hailed the decision, saying in a state- ing. January 20. spokeswoman Sana Syed said never trusting a #siren again.” Premiere of The Fate Of The Furious Two charged with killing four at South Carolina prison

Reuters cording to arrest warrants ob- Carolina tained by the Post and Courier. Two out of the four inmates were also beaten or stabbed wo South Carolina pris- with a broken broomstick. oners admitted to kill- The attacks were partially Ting four fellow inmates caught on video. at the state prison where they Prison offi cials found John were both serving life sen- King, 52; Jason Kelley, 35; tences for murder, local media Jimmy Ham, 56; and William reported on Saturday. Scruggs, 44; dead in a cell at Four convicts were coaxed the all-male maximum-secu- into a cell at Kirkland Correc- rity prison on Friday morning. tional Institution in Columbia The motive behind the at- on Friday by Denver Simmons, tacks or how the victims were 35, and Jacob Philip, 25, who lured was not immediately then attacked and strangled clear. the men, Thom Berry, spokes- Simmons and Philip are cur- man for the South Carolina Law rently serving life sentences for Enforcement Division, told the unrelated double murders. Post and Courier newspaper. Philip pleaded guilty in 2015 Spokespeople from the to strangling his 26-year-old state’s law enforcement divi- girlfriend and her 8-year- sion and from the correctional old daughter in Summerville, facility could not immediately South Carolina, according to be reached for comment. police records acquired by lo- Simmons and Philip, who cal media. have each been charged with Simmons pleaded guilty four counts of murder, con- in 2010 in the 2007 shooting fessed to luring the men into death of Sheila Dodd, 45, and Actor Dwayne Johnson attends the premiere of Universal Pictures’ The Fate Of The Furious at Radio City Music Hall. a cell and attacking them, ac- her 13-year-old son, William. Gulf Times 14 Monday, April 10, 2017 ASEAN

Myanmar wedding boat toll rises to 30

AFP Yangon

escuers yesterday found more bodies from a boat Raccident in western My- anmar that has now claimed the lives of at least 30 people, most of them guests returning from a wedding. The boat, called Silver Star in Burmese, sank on Friday evening in a river near Pathein, a port city west of Yangon. It was believed to be carrying around 60 passengers when it collided with another vessel in the dark. Rescuers pulled 21 bodies from the river on Saturday and have since discovered more victims. “We got nine dead bodies, three men and six women, to- Rohingya refugees bathe and collect water from a tube-well at Balukhali Makeshift Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. day,” a police offi cer at Pathein police station told AFP, asking not to be named. It is unlikely there are many more victims to be found. On Saturday evening, a local MP said nine people were missing. Local media photos showed frenzied scenes as rescuers UN again urges Myanmar to worked throughout the early hours of Saturday to wheel stretchers away from the river and lay bodies onshore. Fatal boat accidents are com- mon in Myanmar, a poor country with rudimentary transport and free detained Rohingya kids weakly-enforced safety regula- tions. AFP have fl ed, gave UN investigators ac- mar’s army chief both recognised “that an expression to use for what is happen- have lived in the country for generations. Vessels ferrying people along Yangon counts of beatings, torture and food there’s an issue here” but made no fi rm ing,” Suu Kyi said in an interview with A group calling itself the Arakan Ro- the coastline and rivers are often deprivation inside the jails. commitment for their release, he added. the BBC last week. hingya Salvation Army has claimed the dangerously overcrowded, and Minors are among those detained. Government spokesman Zaw Htay Myanmar’s police and the military October attacks, which it said were in- accidents can have staggering he UN children’s agency Unicef Unicef’s deputy executive direc- declined to comment when contacted have both launched separate probes to tended to defend the rights of the perse- death tolls. has called on Myanmar’s gov- tor Justin Forsyth said he had given the yesterday by AFP. investigate the deaths of at least eight cuted minority after years of worsening It can also take several days for Ternment to release Rohingya country’s de facto civilian leader Aung The UN Human Rights Council has people in custody in northern Rakhine. conditions. all bodies to be retrieved. children detained as part of a sweeping San Suu Kyi details of around a dozen agreed to send a mission to Myanmar to UN rights envoy for Myanmar Yang- Forsyth said there was a growing rec- Last October 73 people, in- military campaign in Rakhine state. youngsters being held in Buthidaung probe allegations that troops and police hee Lee said some 450 people were be- ognition among both Myanmar’s civil- cluding many teachers and More than 600 people were arrested prison. raped, killed and tortured Rohingya in ing held in Buthidaung prison when she ian government and army that depriv- students, drowned when their in an army crackdown on Rohingya “There are some children that are de- their months-long campaign. visited in January, most without access ing Rohingya children of opportunities overloaded vessel capsized in Muslims in the north of the restive state. tained in prison, so those are the cases Myanmar has rejected the accounts to lawyers or their families. had bred militancy. central Myanmar on the Chind- The operation was launched after that we’re raising,” he told AFP late on collected by UN investigators in the Myanmar has long faced criticism “The reality is if you don’t address win River. deadly attacks by militants on police Saturday at the end of a brief trip to My- Bangladesh refugee camps, who said for its treatment of more than 1mn Ro- these issues particularly for these com- Around 60 people died in posts in October. anmar. “Any child that’s detained is an the crimes could amount to ethnic hingya, who are vilifi ed as illegal “Benga- munities then it will come back to haunt March 2015 when their ferry Rohingya escapees in neighbouring issue for us.” cleansing. li” immigrants and forced to live in apart- them, which is partly what has hap- sank in rough waters off the Bangladesh, where more than 70,000 Nobel Laureate Suu Kyi and Myan- “I think ethnic cleansing is too strong heid-like conditions even though many pened,” he said. western state of Rakhine.

Asean, Japan Beauty pageant to strengthen co-operation

Manila Times Manila

rade and industry ministers of the As- sociation of Southeast Asian Nations T(Asean) and Japan reaffi rmed their commitment to strengthen economic and in- dustrial co-operation in line with the Asean- Japan Strategic Economic Co-operation Roadmap, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said yesterday. The ministers met during the Asean Road- show in Japan that concluded on Saturday, was conducted as part of the Asean’s 50th founding anniversary under the chairman- ship of the Philippines. Lopez said that the ministers’ commit- ment includes co-operation to connect Asean small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with the global value chain, where SMEs will be supported thru capacity building, net- working and business matching and enabling of new industries and start-ups. “Japan and Asean agreed to promote in- novation, entrepreneurship, creating new industries, social agenda such as mobil- ity, energy and healthcare thru cutting-edge technology,” he said. Business collaborations have also started with the launch of the Asean-Japan Innova- tion network, the DTI chief said. Lopez said that the ministers welcomed the proposal of the Philippines to organise regular Asean-Japan trade fairs to promote the best products in the region and their re- spective branding as well. The ministers also expressed a desire to see the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) deal, which is expected A contestant participates in ‘Miss Vientiane 2017 Contest’ in Vientiane, Laos late on Saturday. Winners of the Miss Vientiane 2017 Contest will join the coming celebration parade of the Lao to lead to greater regional trade and invest- New Year, and to promote Laos’ traditional culture. ment fl ows, concluded this year. According to Lopez, the ministers suggest- ed principles to guide the negotiating work- ing group to make the RCEP comprehensive, covering market access, rules and economic and technical co-operation. “The ministers considered the possibility Vietnam slams Philippine pledge to occupy disputed islands of having a phased agreement or a building- block approach, completing areas on trade in goods and services, rules of origin, trade DPA in the South China Sea was “illegal.” Philippine President Rodrigo Du- jurisdiction now,” he told reporters that are vacant and ours, we have to facilitation, and intellectual property rights,” Hanoi Foreign Ministry spokesperson terte on Thursday ordered the mili- during a visit to a military camp in the occupy now.” he said. Le Thi Thu Hang said Vietnam was tary to occupy all territories claimed western province of Palawan. Vietnam is in a maritime territorial RCEP aims to be inclusive and innovation- monitoring developments after the by the country in the disputed South “I have ordered the armed forces dispute with the Philippines, China, led, and a special study is being conducted to he Vietnamese government announcement “extremely” careful- China Sea. to occupy all (Philippine-claimed) Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei over fi nd ways to reduce non-tariff measures and said yesterday that a Philippine ly, according to a statement released “We tried to be friends with eve- islands, put up structures and the the South China Sea’s Spratly island remaining trade barriers, Lopez said. Tplan to occupy disputed islands by the Vietnamese government. rybody but we have to maintain our Philippine fl ag,” he said. “All those chain. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 15 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

New HK leader’s aff ordable homes plan up against wall of Chinese capital

Reuters were primarily about demands city’s more than 7mn citizens fully bid for six out of 27 plots of Kong, but in China the prices are market and are looking overseas it wouldn’t surprise me if Hong Hong Kong for full democracy from Beijing, living in cramped apartments — land sold by the government in basically the same, so I boldly to do business. Local developer Kong developers became land- many were also motivated by the some no bigger than a parking the fi scal year starting April 2016, predict that more and more Chi- David Chiu, chairman of Far East lords relying only on rental in- rising cost of living in the city, space — Lam, who takes over as Lands Department data shows, nese developers will come to Consortium International, said come (from commercial proper- pledge by Hong Kong’s and the cost of accommodation chief executive on July 1, is aiming but in money terms they ac- Hong Kong to buy land in the fu- he had become increasingly dis- ties) after 10 years,” he said. incoming leader Car- in particular. to tackle the problem by increas- counted for 44% of total transac- ture,” KWG chairman Kong Jian heartened after seeing his com- Lam has already conceded in Arie Lam to make the city’s A typical Hong Kong apartment ing housing and land supply. tions. In the previous fi scal year, Min told an earnings conference pany’s auction bids fall below the an interview with the Hong Kong vertiginous property prices more costs 18.1 times gross annual me- But Alice Mak, head of the Chinese fi rms paid more on land last month. average. Economic Journal there is nothing aff ordable could founder on the dian income, according to research Hong Kong legislature’s housing deals than their Hong Kong com- The direct impact of this in- “In the past there were 20 de- she can do to stop outside capital bottomless pockets of mainland group Demographia, and the city panel, said the infl ux of capital petitors, taking up 55% of the val- fl ux on home prices is stark in velopers fi ghting for land, but competing in the land bids. Even Chinese developers, who are bid- topped its survey of the world’s from mainland developers will ue and nearly half of the land sold. the Kai Tak district, overlooking now with Chinese develop- established professionals say ding up the price of land. most expensive places for accom- make Lam’s job very diffi cult. Mainland developer KWG Victoria Harbour. Prices there ers joining, it means another 20 buying a home is an increasingly Home prices in Hong Kong modation for the seventh straight “When there’s overseas capi- Property, which won a plot of rose as much as 50% in less than more,” he told a conference in daunting prospect and doubt that have jumped 364% since 2003, year. Second-placed Sydney was a tal investment in Hong Kong, it residential land for a record price a year, consultancy JLL said, af- February, adding that he was glad government will succeed in hold- while the median monthly house- long way behind on 12.2. will stimulate the local property co-bidding with Logan Property, ter Chinese conglomerate HNA his company had already invested ing down prices. “They won’t be hold income has risen just 61%, “Anything over a multiple market. If the government wants said lower lending rates and taxes Group bought four land parcels elsewhere and had plans to ex- able to help us,” said 30-year-old pushing home ownership out of of 5.1 is usually deemed as be- the housing market to grow at a make development in Hong Kong in the past fi ve months at eye- pand in the UK and Australia. accountant Mok Ho-man. “Buy- reach for many. While the mass ing ‘severely unaff ordable’,” said stable rate, this will be a very big more profi table than in China. popping prices. Hong Kong’s “I think it’ll be very diffi cult ing a fl at is not an impossible protests that paralysed parts of Denis Ma, JLL’s Head of Research challenge for them,” Mak said. “There’s still a gap between homegrown property companies for Hong Kong’s small and me- dream ... but it will only get more Hong Kong for 79 days in 2014 in Hong Kong. With most of the Chinese companies success- ‘fl our and bread prices’ in Hong are being edged out of their own dium developers to win a tender; and more diffi cult.” US Navy strike group heads to Korean peninsula

AFP toward a credible nuclear de- ed from Singapore to the Western its east coast, three of which fell Washington terrent. “US Pacific Command Pacifi c Ocean. provocatively close to Japan, in ordered the Carl Vinson Strike Pyongyang is on a quest to what it said was a drill for an at- Group north as a prudent meas- develop a long-range missile ca- tack on US bases in the neigh- he US Navy said it had sent ure to maintain readiness and pable of hitting the US mainland bouring Asian country. Last a carrier-led strike group presence in the Western Pacif- with a nuclear warhead, and has August Pyongyang also success- A US F18 fighter jet lands on the deck of US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson during an annual joint military Tto the Korean peninsula ic,” said Commander Dave Ben- so far staged fi ve nuclear tests, fully test-fi red a submarine- exercise called “Foal Eagle” between South Korea and US, in the East Sea, South Korea, in March. in a show of force against North ham, spokesman at US Pacific two of them last year. Expert sat- launched ballistic missile 500 Korea’s “reckless” nuclear weap- Command. ellite imagery analysis suggests kilometres (300 miles) towards his Chinese counterpart Xi Jin- for the region, said Thursday she weapons testing, our ability to ons programme. The move will “The number one threat in it could well be preparing for a Japan, far exceeding any previ- ping for talks during which he was “extremely confi dent” of US provide actionable warning con- raise tensions in the region and the region continues to be North sixth, with US intelligence of- ous sub-launched tests, in what pressed Pyongyang’s key ally to capability to intercept a potential tinues to diminish,” Robinson comes hard on the heels of a US Korea, due to its reckless, ir- fi cials warning that Pyongyang the North’s leader Kim Jong-un help curb the North’s nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile said in written testimony to sen- missile strike on Syria that was responsible and destabilising could be less than two years away hailed as the “greatest success.” weapons programme. (ICBM) bound for America from ators. widely interpreted as putting programme of missile tests and from developing a nuclear war- A nuclear-capable SLBM Trump has threatened uni- the North. And while a US unilateral Pyongyang on warning over its pursuit of a nuclear weapons head that could reach the conti- system would take the North’s lateral action against the hermit But General Lori Robinson strike on North Korea from a refusal to abandon its nuclear capability,” he told AFP, in an nental United States. threat to a new level, allowing state, a threat that appears more expressed concerns for the type shorter range might be more mil- ambitions. unusually forceful statement. North Korea last week fi red deployment far beyond the Ko- palpable after Thursday’s strike of ballistic missile powered by a itarily eff ective, it likely would North Korea denounced Originally scheduled to make a medium-range ballistic mis- rean peninsula and a “second- on a Syrian airfi eld following an solid-fuel engine that Pyongyang endanger many civilians in South Thursday’s strike as an act of port calls in Australia, the strike sile into the Sea of Japan ahead strike” capability in the event of apparent chemical attack. said it successfully tested in Feb- Korea, experts warn. The isolated “intolerable aggression” and group – which includes the Nim- of a US-China summit. In Feb- an attack on its army bases. The head of North American ruary. North is barred under UN reso- one that justified “a million itz-class aircraft supercarrier ruary the North simultaneously On Thursday and Friday, US Aerospace Defence Command, “Amidst an unprecedented lutions from any use of ballistic times over” the North’s push USS Carl Vinson — is now head- fi red four ballistic missiles off President Donald Trump hosted which provides missile detection pace of North Korean strategic missile technology.

Refugees to stay in PNG if no Star parade US resettlement: Australia

Asylum-seekers sent by Australia to a Papua New Guinea camp will be resettled there if they are not off ered a place in the United States, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said yesterday. Canberra sends asylum seekers who try to enter the country to off shore processing centres in PNG’s Manus Island and Nauru, blocking them from resettling in Australia. The conservative government has instead worked to relocate those found to be refugees within PNG or to third countries such as the United States and Cambodia. The push to move the more than 800 refugees on Manus has sped up with the camp due to close down after a PNG Supreme Court ruling last year declared that hold- ing people there was unconstitu- tional and illegal. “There are off i- cials from the US, both Homeland Security and State Departments, looking at each individual case at the moment,” Dutton told Sky News, without stating how many refugees might be accepted by Washington. He said those who Actress Janice Man poses on the red carpet during the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards in Hong Kong. Right: Actor Richie Jen and his miss out are “staying in PNG, that’s wife Tina Chen pose on the red carpet during the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards. the arrangement as it currently stands”. “If people have been found not to be refugees, then the expectation is that they will be returned home.” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is in Port Moresby for talks High-fi ves and presidential portraits at Pyongyang Marathon with his PNG counterpart Peter O’Neill, would not comment on whether refugees would be AFP 15, 105 years ago, and a row of it’s not something that everyone cially known. “Really being with moved to the Nauru camp, which Pyongyang dignitaries sat in a VIP section — can say.” people, greeting them, touch- currently holds 380 men, women at least four of them in military Soon after the start the course ing them. It’s really quite some- and children. Only 36 refugees uniform. passed an obelisk declaring “The thing,” said Soleiman Dias, an have taken up the option of undreds of foreigners Nearly 2,000 people entered great leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim international school admissions staying in PNG, Dutton said, with lined up in Pyongyang’s the event, more than half of Jong-il will always be with us”. director from Fortaleza in Brazil, others reportedly citing safety HKim Il-sung Stadium them foreigners — mostly Eu- The runners made their way who described the run as “the fears as a reason for not wanting yesterday for the city’s annual ropeans and other Westerners. past city landmarks including experience of a lifetime”. to settle in the Pacific country. marathon, the highlight of the They took part even though the Kim Il-sung Square and Mansu Critics say that tourism to Successive Australian govern- tourism calendar in isolated North is under multiple sets of hill, where giant bronze statues the North helps to bolster a re- ments have sought to stem waves North Korea. United Nations sanctions over of the two men gaze out over gime accused of widespread of boat migration by people from The 40,000-plus capacity its nuclear and ballistic missile their capital. Local runner Pak human rights abuses as well as war-torn countries, using harsh ground was packed for the event, programmes, and Washington is Chol, 27, established a com- its weapons ambitions, which policies including turning back the the crowd warmly applauding diverting a carrier strike group manding lead in the men’s race include developing a missile vessels. A resettlement agreement as the runners gathered on the towards the Korean peninsula as several kilometres out and re- capable of delivering a nuclear with Phnom Penh struck in 2014 artifi cial pitch, with portraits of tensions mount. corded his third victory in the warhead to the continental was criticised after only a few the North’s founding father Kim “It’s a bit surreal, where we event in 2 hours 13 minutes and Competitors run through Kim Il-sung square in central Pyongyang. United States. refugees made the move. The US Il-sung and his late son and heir are,” said Irishman Richie Leahy, 56 seconds. His compatriot Among a host of measures, resettlement agreement hit global Kim Jong-il smiling down be- 35, who likes holidays that are Jo Un-ok was the fi rst woman the North’s latest missile launch Spontaneous encounters with the United Nations sanctions headlines after President Donald nignly from the roof. “more of an adventure”. across the line in 2:29’23”. — knots of spectators gath- North Koreans are normally include a cap on coal exports, by Trump reportedly lambasted The event is part of the com- “This just ticked all the box- Despite the geopolitical ten- ered along the route, cheering rare on visits to the Democrat- far the North’s biggest foreign Turnbull during a phone call and memorations for the anniversary es,” he said. “I took part in a sions – only last week the UN the runners on and exchanging ic People’s Republic of Korea currency earner, but do not di- attacked it as a “dumb deal”. of Kim Il-sung’s birth on April sporting event in North Korea: Security Council condemned high-fi ves with them. (DPRK), as the country is offi - rectly ban tourism. Gulf Times 16 Monday, April 10, 2017 BRITAIN High court judge lets lawyer off over beeping phone

Guardian News and Media the longest-serving high court we like to keep our mobiles on. in court, but each judge has dis- then lord chief justice, Lord use of an unobtrusive, hand- with a preliminary order for all London judges in England and Wales, It may be somebody important.” cretion as to what is allowed in Judge, issued clear guidance held, silent piece of modern mobiles in court to be turned off responded to an electronic in- His generous tone does not their courtrooms.” that journalists may tweet, text equipment for the purposes of before the judge enters. terruption from one lawyer’s indicate an official change in The ministry of justice is cur- or e-mail on their laptops or simultaneous reporting of pro- The use of digital equip- he sudden trilling of a device in the family court with policy by Her Majesty’s Court rently overseeing a £1bn video mobile phones in public hear- ceedings to the outside world as ment in court has spread. Social mobile phone amid the compassionate forbearance. and Tribunal Service, but it and computer investment that, ings without asking for permis- they unfold in court is generally etiquette towards inadvertent Tsolemn atmosphere of “Please answer it. Don’t be may be indicative of a more ac- it is hoped, will eventually re- sion from each judge. Individual unlikely to interfere with the bleeps has generally become a court hearing often leads to embarrassed, just answer,” said commodating attitude towards place the traditional mountains judges are entitled to withdraw proper administration of jus- more forgiving. stern glances from the bench the 69-year-old, who has been technology. A spokesman for of paperwork and files that that permission in any particu- tice.” Two decades ago, if a phone and cringing embarrassment a judge since 1995. “I never the judiciary said: “There has complicate so many legal chal- lar case. Sound recordings and His declaration has not pre- sounded in court, the culprit from the offender. mind when mobiles go off … We been no change. Generally, mo- lenges. photography remain banned. vented court clerks from fre- might be asked stand up and But Justice Holman, one of live in the modern world, and bile phone calls are not allowed More than five years ago, the The guidance states: “The quently starting proceedings identify themselves.

Slain police officer honoured London sets its sights on cars in fi ght to cut pollution

AFP It warned that air pollution London plays a role in many of the major health challenges, linked to eve- rything from asthma to cancer, one are the days of Lon- obesity and even dementia. don’s “pea souper” It can have a particularly dam- Gsmogs, but like many Eu- aging eff ect on children — and ropean cities, the British capital many of London’s youngest resi- is once again being choked by dents are exposed, day after day, pollution — and has road traffi c according to a new study by envi- fi rmly in its sights. ronmental NGO Greenpeace. In 1952, the Great Smog suf- The data suggests that more focated London for fi ve days, than 1,000 nurseries in England bringing the city to a standstill as are located next to roads where soot-fi lled clouds descended onto pollution exceeds legal limits — the streets and into people’s lungs, and another 1,000 schools and The coff in of police constable Keith Palmer, killed in the March 22 Westminster terror attack, is carried past an honour guard composed of Palmer’s fellow off icers from the leaving more than 12,000 dead. colleges. Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command (PaDP) into the chapel of St Mary Undercroft within the Palace of Westminster in central London yesterday, ahead of The crisis prompted a clamp- “Children are extremely vul- the funeral tomorrow. Palmer, a 48-year-old member of the parliamentary protection force, was one of five people who were killed by Khalid Masood, in the terror attack down on the use of coal in the city nerable to its eff ects, and it can outside the Houses of Parliament. — but decades on, pollution is still cause long-lasting health impacts causing more than 9,000 prema- and reduced lung function,” said ture deaths per year. activist Anna Jones. This time, the key culprit is ni- Prime Minister Theresa May’s trogen dioxide (NO2), produced Conservative government is al- by cars and trucks — and particu- ready under pressure over its re- larly diesel engines, which emit sponse to deteriorating air quality. three times more NO2 than petrol Last year, ministers lost a le- vehicles. gal challenge at the high court “Industry...is part of the prob- against their air quality action lem, but the focus, the problem plan. New proposals are due by Fly-tippers to be forced areas are next to roads,” Gary April 24. Fuller, a senior lecturer in air qual- In February, Britain was also ity measurement at King’s College among fi ve EU member coun- London, said. tries warned by the European London mayor Sadiq Khan is on Commission to address repeated a personal mission to deal with the breaches of air pollution limits for to pick up litter: minister “lethal” air in the city, after blam- nitrogen dioxide. ing pollution for his adult-onset Labour mayor Khan refuses to asthma. wait for the government to draw Guardian News and Media victed of fl y-tipping and given The government is also re- only unfair and unacceptable, but ally responsible or not. It will also This week he announced plans up its new action plan. “The air London community service would be minding councils they should could also be a lead factor in the involve a focus on the nation’s for new charges for diesel cars and in London is lethal and I will not forced to help councils clear up not charge residents to get rid of reported increases in fl y-tipping.” “binfrastructure”. older petrol vehicles, which could stand by and do nothing,” he said fl y-tipped waste. waste. The government will be work- It is estimated that the pave- see drivers pay £24 a day to enter this week. ly-tippers could be forced Leadsom said: “Countless vol- Councils are supposed to allow ing with the environmental char- ments of Oxford Street in London central London by 2019. Khan has already promised to to pick up litter as part of unteers take time out of their lives residents to use tips and recycling ity Wrap. “As part of our new have 300,000 pieces of chewing But the issue is not just con- ease out of circulation diesel buses Fcommunity service, the to clean up the mess made by ir- centres free of charge, including litter strategy, we will work with gum stuck to them at any one fi ned to the city centre, or indeed and taxis, and will in October in- Environment Secretary, Andrea responsible litter louts and fl y- for rubble from DIY projects and Wrap to have clear, common- time, a statistic contained in the to the capital itself. troduce a new £10 daily “toxicity Leadsom, has said. tippers. other small home improvements. sense guidance for waste and re- strategy, the paper reported. “The NO2 limit value is exceed- charge”, or T-charge, for the worst The government will also in- “But clearing up after fl y-tip- But the department for envi- cycling centres so they can be in English councils reported ed in many major cities up and polluting vehicles in central Lon- struct councils to end the “un- ping not only aff ects local com- ronment and rural aff airs (Defra) no doubt people have the right to more than 900,000 cases of fl y- down the country,” Fuller said. don. fair” practice of charging people munities, it also costs the public said councils across the country take their household rubbish to tipping and spent £50mn clear- More than 40,000 British He has now announced plans to use tips, which Leadsom said purse millions. The government charge people for such waste, these sites and not be charged for ing up incidents in 2015-16, ac- deaths a year are attributable to for a new £12.50 charge by 2019 could be a lead factor in the rise of now wants to see more of those contributing to a rise in fl y-tip- its disposal,” Leadsom said. cording to fi gures published last exposure to outdoor air pollution, for diesel cars more than four fl y-tipping. committing crimes like this tak- ping. The Sunday Telegraph report- month. The Woodland Trust said according to a survey last year by years old and for petrol cars more The plans are part of a national ing responsibility for cleaning Leadsom said: “Charging lo- ed that the strategy will include 2016 was the worst year on record the Royal College of Physicians than 13 years old. litter strategy the Guardian un- up the community by picking up cal residents for doing the re- automatic £60 fi nes for drivers for fl y-tipping, with almost 200 and the Royal College of Paediat- This is in addition to the £11.50 derstands will be published today. litter and illegally dumped waste sponsible thing and taking their if rubbish is thrown from their cases of rubbish dumped on land rics and Child Health. existing “congestion charge”. Under the strategy, those con- themselves.” household waste to the tip is not car, whether they are person- it manages.

Terror attack victim Payout for widow as man Woman arrested over dies due to NHS failings abduction, rape claim Guardian News and Media dragged into a saloon car by two London men, while she was walking near London Evening Standard Samirun said. His young son In a letter the Litigation Au- the North Yorkshire town’s boat- London found him unconscious on thority said there was a “fail- ing lake with her child some time the Monday morning when ure to carry out... a more de- ffi cers investigating the between 11.30am and 12.30pm. Samirun Chowdhury was on tailed assessment”. Offering rape and abduction of At the time police released he family of a man who the way to the GP for help. the LAS’s apologies, it add- Oa woman from a prom- a statement saying the car had died 36 hours after Three ambulances arrived but ed: “Had the deceased been enade in North Yorkshire have been driven down Turner Street Tparamedics failed to Chowdhury died on the floor. transferred and admitted to arrested a woman on suspicion and towards Yearby, on Long- take him to hospital for a sus- The Standard revealed that hospital... then he would have of wasting police time. beck Lane off the A174, where the pected heart complaint have the NHS Litigation Authority received acute therapy for his In a statement, Cleveland po- woman was raped. They said that received a six-figure payout has now settled the claim on cardiac presentation and on lice said it was no longer investi- the woman and her child were from the NHS. behalf of the London Ambu- the balance of probabilities he gating a report that a woman had forced out of the vehicle at least Fokhor Chowdhury, 52, col- lance Service more than five would have survived.” been raped after being bundled fi ve hours later, between 5.30pm lapsed at home in Hackney on years after the incident, on Arti Shah, from law firm into the back of a car with her and 6.30pm, on Kirkleatham a Saturday from what is now January 21, 2012. Fieldfisher, said: “For reasons toddler while they walked by the Lane, and that the pair then ran thought to have been a heart Samirun Chowdhury said: unknown, this crew simply beach in Redcar in the middle of to a wooded area opposite. The attack. He was crying with “We had never called an am- did not listen nor take Chow- the day on March 3. child was not reported to have pain. bulance before and because dhury’s symptoms seriously Police arrested a 31-year-old been physically harmed. The paramedics decided they were so insistent Fokhor and examine him properly. local man on suspicion of rape on In a description issued by po- initial cardiac checks by a col- didn’t need to go to hospital Had they done so, it is likely March 7, but he was later released lice the driver was described as league who was first on the and so disparaging about our they could have saved his life without charge. a white male, aged in his late 20s scene were “textbook perfect”. concerns, we believed them and he would be here with his In a statement, the force said: or early 30s, between 5ft 7in and They suggested Chowdhury, and my husband died.” family.” “Offi cers can confi rm that they 5ft 10in tall, with short brown who had a history of gastric The LAS apologised within The LAS said: “We are very are no longer investigating an hair, of large build and with the problems, take Gaviscon for several months and agreed sorry that the clinical care allegation of rape in the Redcar word “love” tattooed across his heartburn, not eat spicy food two years later that compen- Fokhor Chowdhury received area that was said to have taken knuckles. or drink hot milk, and see his sation would be paid. In order fell short of our normally high place on March 3. Police have ar- The second suspect, the pas- GP. to calculate the sum the fam- standards. The crew has since The British man killed in the Stockholm terror attack has been rested a woman aged in her early senger, was described as a white He suffered stomach pain ily had to go through a court had additional training on named as Chris Bevington. Two Swedes and one Belgian also 30s on suspicion of wasting po- male, aged in his early 20s, be- throughout the weekend but process investigating how further diagnostic tools they died in the attack on Friday, when a hijacked lorry was driven lice time.” tween 5ft 5in and 5ft 6in tall, of was reluctant to call another long Chowdhury would have could have taken and we have into a store. Crispin Bevington – known as Chris – worked as a Police launched a search and medium build, clean shaven, ambulance due to the way lived had he received the right also shared learning with our director with music streaming service Spotify. told residents to stay vigilant with brown hair and a local ac- he was treated, his widow care. wider clinical workforce.” after a woman reported being cent. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 17 BRITAIN/IRELAND

CELEBRITY CRIME TRAGEDY BLAZE POLITICS Clooneys gift neighbours Woman stabbed Tributes paid to driver ‘Cigarette’ fire devastates Ulster Unionist Party names £45,000 holiday deal in Stoke Newington killed trying to rescue dog Bradgate Park Swann as new leader

George and Amal Clooney have reportedly A woman was repeatedly stabbed in a horrific Tributes have been paid to a 66-year-old A discarded cigarette butt could have caused New Ulster Unionist Party leader Robin Swann given their neighbours £45,000 compensation attack in the early hours of the morning in Stoke woman who died trying to rescue her dog when a fire which “devastated” a country park, its has said a single unionist party would “limit for disturbance caused by renovations to their Newington. The 27-year-old victim was rushed it ran on to the M4 north of Cardiff . Patricia owners have said. The blaze destroyed about choice and stifle debate”. He was speaking at the Berkshire village estate. The deal included a to hospital with multiple stab wounds after the Connors was hit by a Ford Transit van during 1,000 sq m of scrubland at Bradgate Park, party’s annual general meeting where he was holiday to Corfu, a six-week stay in a luxury hotel attack near Rectory Road station in the well-to- rush hour on Friday after her pet ran on to the in Newtown Linford, Leicestershire, at about confirmed as leader. He was the only candidate and a £30,000 lump sum, the Daily Mail reported. do area of north-east London. A Scotland Yard carriageway near Cardiff Gate services. Connors 16.45BST on Saturday. Bradgate Park Trust said a for the position, after Mike Nesbitt resigned John Grove, 58, and his wife Clare, 49, received spokesman said she remains critical after the was pronounced dead at the scene and the cigarette or an illicit barbecue within the park’s from the role last month. That was after the the generous package that is also said to include attack at the junction of Rectory Road, where one westbound carriageway was closed for five hours grounds could have been to blame. The trust party’s disappointing performance in March’s a vacuum cleaner. Refurbishment to the Clooney’s bedroom flats can sell for more than £700,000, between junctions 29 and 32. In a statement said it was a “sad day” and reminded visitors of election. Swann, who has served as an MLA for Grade II-listed building in Sonning began in 2015 and Evering Road just before 3.30am yesterday. released through South Wales police the family the “devastation” a fire can cause. Marc Rose, North Antrim since 2011, told members that the and includes a construction of a 12-seater cinema A heavy police presence was visible and a large said: “The family of Patricia Joyce Connors are who was visiting at the time, said he saw “thick, electorate “must be given hope and they must and an astroturf tennis court. For the Groves this cordon was in place after the stabbing. Rectory heartbroken trying to come to terms with a black smoke” as he walked near the reservoir. see it being delivered”. He also told members meant a daily stream of diggers, lorries and trucks Road and the station both remained closed tragic accident that has taken a loving mum, The fire service recorded the incident as that there should be no “back-door deals” in the clogging up roads outside their home. yesterday morning. There have been no arrests. grandmother and great-grandmother.” “deliberate”, but does not believe it was arson. current Stormont talks process.

Tentacle spectacle Wonga data breach Way cleared could aff ect 250,000 customers for motor

Guardian News and Media London sports on ustomers of payday loan fi rm Wonga are being Cwarned that their per- sonal data may have been stolen. The lender said it was “ur- gently investigating illegal an unauthorised access to the per- public roads sonal data of some of its custom- ers in the UK and Poland”. Guardian News and Media a signifi cant reduction in the air fi nal say over whether a race can It is understood that up to London pollution from their vehicles. go ahead, and may require ad- 270,000 new and former cus- “London is always open to ditional safety measures before, tomers, including 245,000 in the hosting the world’s biggest and during or after the event as a UK, could have been aff ected by ew rules paving the best sport events – from athlet- condition of allowing a race to the data breach, which was dis- way for a Monaco-style ics to American football, from take place, the DfT said. covered on Friday. Nstreet-based grand prix cycling to baseball. In consider- Rob Jones, chief executive of The lender, which off ers a have come into force, allowing ing whether to support a grand the MSA, welcomed the change, three-month loan priced at motor sports on closed public prix in London the mayor would for which his organisation had 1,286% APR alongside its short- roads. need to see what the impacts are campaigned. “We can now take term 1,509% APR deal, said it The changes, which came in on air pollution,” he said. motor sport to the people, and started to contact borrowers on Monday, will clear the way for “Formula E races which in- in turn those local hosting com- and was off ering support via a motor sports promoters to ap- volve environmentally-friendly, munities have the opportunity to dedicated phone line. Custom- ply for permission to stage races electric-powered cars, can now be benefi t from the economic boost ers have received a message from on public highways in England, held on public roads. The mayor’s that these events may provide,” the payday lender telling them: from small-scale local events offi ce is in discussion with Formu- he said. “We believe there may have been to international races such as a la E to see if it may be feasible for The changes come despite illegal and unauthorised access city-based grand prix. London to host such a race.” some consultation responses to some of your personal data on Andrew Jones, the transport Despite that, the department raising concerns that allowing your Wonga.com account.” minister, said the move would for transport said the new rules racing on highways could act as The message said that the cement Britain’s position as a could lead to “small races hosted a precedent for a “speed culture” fi rm was working to establish world leader in motor sports and by local communities, bigger among drivers. the full details but data breached highlighted the overwhelming European rallies or even a future Transport for London, which “may have included one or more support the measure received in Monaco-style grand prix in an oversees the capital’s highways, of the following: name, e-mail a consultation. English city”. said an event route could attract address, home address, phone “We had a consultation on Jones said: “The examples “unoffi cial races where riders or number, the last four digits of this idea last year and there would be in cycling. We had the drivers utilise the road at speed,” your card number (but not the were 6,000 responses and it Tour de France here. We had a potentially leading to an increase whole number) and/or your bank was overwhelmingly positive … grand depart in Yorkshire a cou- in road deaths. account number and sort code.” Of the councils who responded, ple of years ago and roads were Further dampening pros- It went on to say that the lender they again were overwhelmingly closed as part of that event and pects for a London grand prix, believed Wonga accounts had not positive,” he said. “This could be hundreds of thousands of people Westminster council, which is been compromised, but customers a real boost for the economies of came to watch it. responsible for many of the cap- were advised to look out for unu- an area,” he added. “It had a huge impact, not just ital’s most recognisable land- sual activity across their accounts. The suggestion that London for boosting cycling in the UK marks, said during the consulta- In a statement the fi rm said: “We might hold a grand prix has been but for boosting tourism wher- tion that it would not consider are working closely with authori- mooted on and off since 2011, ever it went. I would hope we hosting an on-road event, citing ties and we are in the process of in- with Bernie Ecclestone, who would see something compara- concerns for the impact on busi- forming aff ected customers.” was then the Formula One boss, ble for motor sport.” nesses and buildings of impor- On Twitter, customers were ex- known to back the idea and hav- Under the new rules, the Mo- tant historical signifi cance. pressing concern about the breach ing off ered to cover the cost of tor Sports Association, which Jones denied the changes and complaining that they were staging the event. governs motor sports in the UK, could send the wrong message struggling to get onto Wonga’s It’s the stuff of nightmares... swimming calmly in the open ocean only to find yourself However, the prospect of a and Auto Cycle Union, which at a time when fi erce debate website to change their account surrounded by a bloom of slimy, stinging jellyfish. Now Londoners can get as close as they London grand prix has been regulates motorcycle racing, will raged over levels of air pollution passwords. One tweeted the @Of- dare to thousands of the creatures without feeling the poisonous brush of their tentacles. ruled out for the foreseeable be authorised to issue race per- across the UK. “Actually, motor fi cialWonga feed to say: “Received A new Sea Life London attraction will host 5,000 jellyfish – including some up to half a future after a spokesperson for mits after satisfying councils, sport development has been at an e-mail that my details may have metre in diameter and some whose tentacles reach 30 metres. Expert “jellyologists” have Sadiq Khan, the mayor, said city police and other local bodies the heart of developing more ef- been hacked. Please can you tell me spent the past year breeding the creatures in the basement of the South Bank attraction. hall would only support an event that the events would be safe. fi cient engines, and that benefi ts if this is real? Been on hold for ages.” if Formula One teams achieved Local authorities will have the everybody,” he said. Best EU brains ‘still Olivier Awards BA may ditch free meals on long fl ights coming despite Brexit’ BA is under pressure to slash London Evening Standard London fares in order to compete with London Evening Standard assessment of the potential im- am,” he said. “I have been wor- both budget short-haul air- London pact of Brexit and the measures ried, those concerns are real, but lines such as Ryanair, and low- which it believes can minimise you can also see a way through ritish Airways could cost long-haul competitors any damage. and you can see opportunity and start charging for meals such as Norwegian, which is he head of University Col- He said one of the biggest therefore the optimism persists. I Bon long-haul fl ights, the off ering trans-Atlantic fl ights lege London has hailed concerns included whether the think London will remain a great airline’s boss has revealed. for under £200. Tthe recruitment of “high- government could “cook a deal” global city and that will be great In September it was an- But Cruz insisted that the profi le Europeans” to fi ll some with the EU to retain access to for London and great for us.” nounced BA would scrap free airline would regain its repu- of its key posts as a sign that the research funding, which last year He added: “We have recruited meals for economy fl ights in tation as “the best in Britain Brexit vote is not deterring top accounted for about £60mn of some high-profi le Europeans in favour of Marks & Spencer sal- and the best in Europe” within EU academics from moving here. UCL’s income. recent weeks. Those people have ads and sandwiches. two years. Professor Michael Arthur, Another “huge” worry was not been put off by Brexit. And now the airline’s boss, Cruz also insisted that the provost of UCL, said the new the potential loss of career de- “What they see is a huge glo- Alex Cruz, has said it could airline’s new, paid-for food appointees would fi ll “big jobs” velopment grants for junior and bal scientifi c opportunity and start charging passengers on and drink off ering on short- and had been attracted by the senior academics from the Euro- the opportunity to make a real long-haul fl ights for their haul fl ights is proving popu- capital’s outstanding reputation pean Research Council. diff erence. That seems to trump meals, risking claims it is pen- lar. for science. The university would also the impact of Brexit.” ny-pinching. Passengers travelling in the He added that the appoint- like either “free mobility for re- Professor Arthur said UCL ex- BA has come under fire Club Europe business class ments showed “people have not searchers, academics, students” pected to see a drop in EU students from passengers who have cabin on BA short-haul fl ights been put off by Brexit” and the or “a very cleverly designed im- after Brexit but that signifi cant said they have been unable still receive complimentary “very best” talents were still keen migration system that the EU numbers were still likely to come. to buy food on short-haul food and drinks. This would to take posts in London. He also sees as being a special deal” to He said he was reassured that flights because stocks have remain the same for business disclosed that there had been no ensure full access to talent and ministers were listening to the fallen too low. class long-haul passengers exodus of European staff since continued participation in Euro- concerns of universities and But speaking to the Sunday travelling in the Club World last June’s vote and that the uni- pean research schemes. was also encouraged by the de- Times, Cruz insisted: “It’s go- cabin. versity was optimistic it could But professor Arthur empha- sire of European institutions ing great. Customers say to us: In a statement issued later, retain signifi cant numbers of EU sised that despite the challenges for their governments to strike ‘Finally, I have good choices. BA said: “We have no plans students after Britain’s departure. he believed that UCL would a “win, win” deal allowing con- No more chicken or beef’.” currently for a buy-on-board Professor Arthur’s comments continue to thrive after Brexit tinued British participation in Northern Irish actor Kenneth Brannagh poses on the red Asked if the M&S service economy product on long- came during an interview with and retain its top 10 status in the EU research schemes. “Everyone carpet upon arrival to attend the 2017 Laurence Olivier could be extended to economy haul, but if that is what inter- the Evening Standard in which world university rankings. points to British science as being Awards in London yesterday. tickets on long-haul fl ights, he ests customers of the future, he set out his university’s latest “I have to be optimistic and I crucial,” he said. said: “We might do it.” we will listen.” Gulf Times 18 Monday, April 10, 2017 EUROPE

12 hospitalised after trains collide in Moscow

AFP “12 people were hospitalised, in- with a long-distance train, trav- The collision caused two of Moscow cluding six in serious condition” elling to the Belarusian city of the commuter train’s wagons as a result of the collision. Brest, that had stopped on the and a portion of the long-dis- The collision occurred at same track, the statement said. tance train to derail, Russian welve people were hospi- 10.16pm (1916 GMT) on Satur- Twenty-eight people sought Railways said. talised after a commuter day when the driver of a com- medical attention after the colli- Puchkov said in televised Ttrain collided with a long- muter train braked suddenly to sion, Russian Railways said. comments that more than 200 distance train in western Mos- avoid hitting a person on the No casualties were reported. people were working at the cow, Russian authorities said tracks, the Russian Railways Video footage broadcast on site of the collision to clear the yesterday. state corporation said in a state- state television showed emer- tracks. Russia’s minister of emergen- ment. gency workers examining the Train service in the area re- A picture taken with a drone early yesterday shows an aerial view of emergency workers working at the site cy situations, Vladimir Puchkov, Its brakes damaged, the train damaged trains while medics as- sumed at 5.46am (0246 GMT), of a train collision in Moscow. told Russian news agencies that went into reverse and collided sisted passengers. Russian Railways said. Thousands attend vigil in Stockholm Police look into suspect’s The suspected driver, arrested who gave her name only as Mari- interest in Islamic State hours after the attack, has been anne, attending with her elderly identifi ed only as a 39-year- mother. AFP old man from Uzbekistan who “We talk, we don’t fi ght,” she Stockholm had shown interest in extrem- told AFP as she joined the crowds ist groups and who was facing thronging the Sergels Torg plaza, deportation after his residency a stone’s throw from the scene of uge crowds gathered yes- permit application was denied, the attack. terday in Stockholm for a police said. One woman off ered fl owers to H“Lovefest” vigil against He “showed interest for ex- police offi cers guarding the plaza. terrorism, two days after a truck tremist organisations like IS”, “Thank you,” she said with a attack that police believe was senior police offi cer Jonas Hysing smile. committed by an Uzbek man told reporters. “Fear shall not reign. Terror interested in Islamist militant A second suspect has also been cannot win,” Stockholm mayor groups. formally placed under arrest over Karin Wanngard told the crowd, Stockholm city offi cials said the attack, Stockholm district saying that terrorism would be more than 20,000 people took court judge Helga Hullman said defeated with “kindness and part in the vigil, organised af- yesterday, revealing no informa- openness”. People put flowers on a police vehicle outside Ahlens department ter the suspect mowed down tion about his link to the Uzbek. Linking arms, under fl ags fl y- store in central Stockholm. A police off icer stands guard near an area in central Oslo that has shoppers in a stolen truck be- Friday’s attack has deeply ing at half-mast, the crowd held a been cordened off late on Saturday after police arrested a man fore slamming into the facade of shocked the usually tranquil minute of silence for the victims. said was known to Sweden’s in- condition. following the discovery of a ‘bomb-like device’. the bustling Ahlens department Scandinavian nation, which “We don’t respond with fear, telligence service for undisclosed Police have said they were in- store on Friday afternoon. prides itself on its openness and we respond with love,” read one reasons. creasingly sure the Uzbek was the The motive was not known, tolerance. poster held by a woman wearing Media reports said the man, a driver of the truck. but the method resembled pre- “It’s very important to stay a headscarf. father of four who worked in con- “There is nothing to indicate vious attacks using vehicles in strong together against anything The Uzbek suspect had been struction, did not come across as that we’ve got the wrong man. Nice, Berlin and London, all of that wants to change our society, due to be deported from Sweden having been radicalised. On the contrary, the suspicions after his residency application “He partied and drank,” one of have strengthened,” national Norway ups them claimed by the Islamic which is based on democracy,” State (IS) group. said one participant in the vigil was rejected last year. his friends said. police chief Dan Eliasson said on “He applied for a permanent The family of an 11-year-old Saturday. Man smashes car into German town hall residency permit in 2014. The Swedish girl have meanwhile Police had found a suspect de- Migration Agency rejected it in confi rmed that she was one of vice in the cab of the truck. June 2016 and also decided that the four people killed in the truck “A technical examination is threat level A man crashed his car into a town hall in northern Germany yesterday morning, triggering a fire at the building’s entrance but leaving no one he was to be deported,” Hysing attack. ongoing, we can’t go into what injured. said. The Foreign Offi ce in London it is right now ... whether it’s a The 47-year-old driver smashed his car through the locked doors of Verdon The man was told last Decem- confi rmed that a British man, bomb or a fl ammable device,” town hall and into its glass foyer around 8am (0600 GMT). ber that he had four weeks to 41-year-old Chris Bevington, Eliasson said. leave the country, but in Febru- was among the dead, while the Friday’s attack the second ter- following Rescue services were able to extinguish the fire that broke out shortly thereafter. ary his case was handed over to Belgian foreign ministry said that ror attack in Stockholm. Police said terrorism had been ruled out and that the action had likely been the police “since the person had a Belgian woman had been killed. In December 2010, a suicide targeted at the off ice. gone underground”, Hysing told The fourth victim was only bomber blew himself up, also The driver was taken into custody. reporters. known to be a Swedish national. on the Drottninggatan street, Police apparently never found Fifteen people were injured, slightly injuring several pas- bomb fi nd Initial estimates put the damage at several hundred thousand euros. the man, whom authorities have four of whom were in critical sersby. AFP The main suspect in that at- Oslo tack, a 39-year-old man from Uzbekistan, had shown an inter- est in Islamist militant groups orway’s intelligence like IS and had had his perma- agency raised the nation- nent residency application re- Nal threat level yesterday jected, police said. after a 17-year-old Russian was Norwegian police had earlier arrested on suspicion of placing a announced that they had carried homemade bomb in central Oslo. out a controlled explosion over- The domestic intelligence night on Saturday and that they agency PST said an attack was had made an arrest. now “probable” rather than Police had cordoned off part “possible”, because of the risk of Oslo’s busy Gronland district of a copycat attack after recent and evacuated local bars and assaults in Stockholm, Saint Pe- restaurants after the device was tersburg, London, Berlin, and discovered on Saturday evening. Nice. The device turned out to be The new threat level will be in a “primitive explosive device” place for two months. with the capacity to cause only “It’s not clear whether the “limited” damage, said another 17-year-old young man intended PST offi cial, Signe Alling. to commit a terrorist attack,” The suspect had arrived in PST chief Benedicte Bjornland Norway in 2010 with his family, told reporters. which had sought asylum. The teen’s lawyer, Aase Karine He was already known to intel- Sigmond, said her client rejected ligence circles. the allegations, as well as claims “He was cause for concern in the media that he was an Is- previously, but we don’t want to lamic State (IS) sympathiser. comment on which milieu he was “It was a boy’s prank,” she told part of,” Bjornland said. broadcaster NRK. Memories are still fresh in The intelligence agency was Norway of the July 2011 twin at- trying to determine whether he tacks perpetrated by right-wing had acted alone. extremist Anders Behring Brei- The incident came after a vik, who killed 77 people in a truck attack that left four people bombing near the government dead and 15 injured in Stockholm offi ces in Oslo and a gun rampage People attend a memorial ceremony yesterday at Sergels Torg plaza in Stockholm, close to the area where a truck was driven into a department store two days before. in neighbouring Sweden. on the Utoya island. German army investigates 275 cases of extremism

DPA/AFP response from the defence min- giving the Nazi salute, but some Public displays of Nazi sym- and “Sieg Heil, comrades”, the for “typical foreigners”. German media reported last Berlin istry to a parliamentary question. also involved making racist com- bols and salutes are illegal in ministry said. Germany’s Constitutional year that there are signs Islam- Hans-Peter Bartels, the par- ments online. Germany, where most people are “The case was passed on to Court said in January that the ists were trying to join the Ger- liamentary commissioner for the In one incident, a soldier at- repulsed by any degree of sympa- the military prosecutor and the NPD resembled Adolf Hitler’s man armed forces to get military ermany’s military coun- armed forces, last year reported tacked refugees after asking them thy to the dictatorship responsi- public prosecutor’s offi ce, but Nazi party but ruled against ban- training with the possible goal of ter-intelligence service 63 incidents to parliament in whether they were Christians or ble for the Holocaust. neither an early dismissal nor a ning it because it was too weak to carrying out attacks in Germany. G(MAD) is investigating 275 the areas of extremism, anti- Muslims. The ministry letter noted the service ban took place,” it wrote endanger democracy. Ulla Jelpke, a parliamentary suspected right-wing extremist Semitism and xenophobia. Right-wing extremism is an lax manner in which some of the to parliament. The ministry said the soldier spokeswoman for the left-wing off ences, according to the de- Eleven of these incidents re- issue that the German military most serious cases have been Another case involved a soldier was “only disciplined”. party Die Linke party, referred fence ministry. sulted in dismissals, while in has to observe closely, Bartels dealt with. who used a Facebook page as- In a third case, a soldier was al- the military’s approach to ex- Of those, 143 cases date back to other cases, the soldiers had to told the media group, adding that One such incident is Case 29, sociated with the far-right Na- lowed to keep his weapon after he tremists “highly problematic”. 2016, with 53 new cases recorded pay fi nes, the report said. supervisors normally reacted which involved a soldier who tional Democratic Party (NPD) to was disciplined for performing “Anyone who turns out to be a this year, Germany’s Funke media Several of the cases related to quickly and consistently to inci- was heard conspicuously saying spread racist remarks, including the Nazi salute while on a trip to Hitler fan has to be kicked out of group reported yesterday, citing a propaganda off ences, such as dents. “Heil Hitler”, “Heil our leader”, demanding the death sentence the Latvian capital, Riga. the German military,” she said. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 19 EUROPE

Serbia’s election Trudeau leads winner accused Battle of Vimy of fraud AFP Belgrade

erbian President-elect Aleksandar Vucic’s main event in France Spoll rival has accused the former premier of “scandalous AFP 8km (fi ve-mile) ridge. displayed a strength of character Arras, which was a diversionary irregularities” in the election Vimy, France Trudeau said one of the and commitment to one another tactic to assist a major French which handed him victory ear- 80,000 Canadians in the battle, that is still evident today ... this attack further south. lier this month. 20-year-old William Bell, had was Canada at its best – the Ca- It was the fi rst time that four Centre-left candidate Sasa anadian Prime Minister written home on April 7, 1917 to nadians at Vimy embodied the military divisions from Canada Jankovic, who garnered 16% in Justin Trudeau said his praise the cake his family had ‘True North, Strong and Free.’” fought together as the Canadian the April 2 fi rst-round poll com- Ccountry “was born here” sent to the trenches. William and his brother Harry Corps. pared to 55% for Vucic, called for as he led commemorations in Within days, he was killed laid boots on the memorial in The crowd was the biggest a partial recount. France yesterday for the 100th fi ghting at Vimy. memory of the fallen soldiers. for the series of centenary com- Thousands of demonstrators, anniversary of the Battle of Vimy “It was through their sacrifi ce Hollande said the links built memorations of World War I mostly students, have gathered Ridge. that Canada became an inde- between France and Canada battles in France and fi ve times Hollande, Trudeau, Trudeau’s wife Sophie Gregoire (second left) and daily in Belgrade and other cities The battle, which started on pendent signatory of the Treaty were evident today “when we bigger than for the commemo- son Xavier, Britain’s Prince Charles, Governor General of Canada to protest Vucic’s election, but April 9, 1917, was one of the de- of Versailles,” Trudeau said, re- condemn chemical massacres ration of the Battle of Verdun in David Johnston (centre), Johnston’s wife Sharon, and Britain’s this is the fi rst time one of his fi ning moments of World War I ferring to the most important of committed by a criminal re- May last year. Princes William and Harry pose at a commemoration ceremony to rivals has alleged poll irregulari- and a founding moment in Can- the treaties that brought World gime” – a clear reference to the Among the spectators in the mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge at the ties. ada’s history as Canadian troops War I to an end. “So in that way, suspected chemical attack in bright sunshine was Ken Pig- Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Vimy, near Arras, northern Jankovic’s offi ce said a recount fought under Canadian com- Canada was born here.” rebel-held Syria this week. gott, 54, a retired army captain France. of 25 bags of polling cards, car- mand for the fi rst time. Trudeau was joined at the In an apparent reference to from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, ried out on Friday at the request Around 20,000 Canadi- memorial by French President the French presidential election who was wearing military uni- Military College in Kingston, da’s centennial and the battle’s of the independent candidate, ans made the journey to their Francois Hollande, and Brit- – the fi rst round takes place in form and a row of medals. Ontario, said that it was “pure 50th anniversary. showed that Vucic had been country’s memorial in northern ain’s Prince Charles and his sons two weeks’ time, with far-right “It was an important step in mythology”. But Tim Cook, of the Cana- awarded 964 more votes than France to mark the centenary, Princes William and Harry. leader Marine Le Pen expected shaking off British colonial rule,” It was neither decisive for the dian War Museum in Ottawa, were actually counted. turning the former battlefi eld Charles, the heir to the throne, to reach the run-off – Hollande he said. “For that reason, it is a war’s outcome “nor the most said its importance could not be “The irregularities we found into a sea of the red and white of said the Canadians succeeded said those who fought at Vimy huge source of pride for me.” fundamental” of the battles underestimated. in favour (of Vucic) are scandal- their country’s fl ag. where other armies had failed in “tell us that nationalism only While many Canadians con- fought by Canadians during the “Many historians and writ- ous,” it said in a statement. Speaking from the towering seizing the high ground at Vimy. leads to war and that fundamen- sider the victory at Vimy a sig- confl ict, Boire said. ers consider the Canadian vic- Jankovic’s team added that white structure, Trudeau spoke “However, victory came at an talism only leads to destruction”. nifi cant step in their nation’s “The importance given to the tory at Vimy a defi ning moment the average diff erence per poll- of the 3,598 Canadians – “most unbearably heavy cost. This was, The Battle of Vimy Ridge was development, some historians Battle of Vimy is a post-war for Canada, when the country ing station between the number were men in their early twen- and remains, the single bloodi- part of a larger British-led of- have debunked the state’s offi - mythological construction,” he emerged from under the shad- of votes offi cially attributed to ties” – who were killed fi ghting est day in Canadian military his- fensive that included Australian cial view of its signifi cance. said, an “invention” dating back ow of Britain and felt capable of Vucic and the actual number to take control of the strategic tory,” he said. “Yet Canadians soldiers, known as the Battle of Michael Boire of the Royal only to 1967, the year of Cana- greatness,” he said. counted was 38. “If this average fi gure, based on a random sample, were mul- tiplied by the number of all the 8,396 polling stations, it would produce a sinister conclusion: Thousands rally in Hungary Aleksandar Vucic potentially stole 319,000 votes,” the state- ment said. Centre-right politician Vucic, against Soros university law a former ultra-nationalist turned pro-European, won in the fi rst round by garnering more Reuters than 50% of votes, way ahead of Budapest the 10 other candidates. After the results were an- nounced, Vucic, who was elected ens of thousands of Hun- prime minister in 2014, trum- garians protested in cen- peted his “clear” victory in win- Ttral Budapest yesterday ning 12% more votes than all the against new legislation that other candidates combined. could force the Central Euro- Yesterday he dismissed the pean University (CEU), a school “ridiculous mathematics” of his founded by US fi nancier George opponent. Soros, to move out of the coun- “When politicians in Serbia try. fail, with their programmes and A bill passed in Parliament plans, to gain the people’s con- this week by the ruling right- fi dence, they resort to the most wing Fidesz party of Prime Erdogan addresses his supporters during a rally yesterday for the upcoming referendum in Izmir. callous lies,” he told a press con- Minister Viktor Orban, a critic ference. of liberal civil organisations The electoral commission also funded by Soros, targeted CEU rejected Jankovic’s accusations, by setting numerous new con- calling them “absolutely unac- ditions under which it must Erdogan warns Turkey EU bid ceptable”. operate. The commission’s head The bill has led to criticism Vladimir Dimitrijevic said that from hundreds of leading aca- back ‘on table’ after referendum contested votes had been re- demics worldwide as well as counted and that only four irreg- from the US government and A woman holds up a placard as she protests against the bill that ular ballots had been identifi ed, the European Union. would undermine the Central European University, a liberal AFP the question of the European weeks by claiming some EU and these could be attributed to Hungarian President Janos graduate school of social sciences founded by US financier George Istanbul Union will again be on the table states were behaving like the a “technical error”. Ader must now sign the bill by Soros. after April 16,” said Erdogan. Nazis by preventing his minis- He accused “certain candi- tomorrow to make it law. He said that Turks living in ters from holding pre-election dates” of peddling “absolute The protesters said they mental organisations, which scrapped and additional inter- resident Recep Tayyip Er- Europe were “oppressed” and rallies. lies”. wanted to convince Ader to re- will have to register with au- national guarantees of academ- dogan warned yesterday “humiliated”: “God willing, While the “No” campaign On Saturday an estimated ject the bill and refer it to a con- thorities if they have a yearly ic freedoms be added to current Pthat Turkey’s embattled our people will bring them (Eu- has struggled to make its voice 10,000 protesters gathered in stitutional review. foreign income of 7.2mn forints legal safeguards. bid to join the EU will be back rope) to account.” heard as the “Yes” campaign Belgrade. “What do we want Ader to ($25,000). The US State Department “on the table” after next week’s “They said a century ago that dominates the airwaves, ana- Jankovic said the crowds were do? VETO,” the crowd chanted. The Hungarian premier has will send diplomats to Budapest referendum on enhancing his we were the ‘sick man’. Now lysts believe the outcome is still unhappy with the “injustice “Free country, free university!” often vilifi ed Soros, whose ideal next week to address the CEU powers, raising new doubts they are the ‘sick man’. Europe too close to call as the race en- of the autocratic regime which “The government wants to of an open society is squarely crisis, said Ignatieff , who spent about the future of the mem- is collapsing,” he added, claim- ters the last week of campaign- threatens Serbia with dictator- silence pretty much everyone at odds with Orban’s view that several days in Washington to bership drive. ing that the European economy ing. ship”. who doesn’t think the same as European culture is under an lobby the US government, law- In a speech in the Aegean city weakened every year. Yesterday marked the last them, who thinks freely, who existential threat from migra- makers and the media. of Izmir, Erdogan described Eu- The EU is facing the gravest day of expatriate voting in the can be liberal, can be leftist,” tion and multiculturalism. “They want to completely rope as a “sick man”, using the crisis in its six-decade history referendum which is expected protest organiser Kornel Klopf- Orban has often said NGOs undermine and eradicate what jibe that nineteenth century after last year’s British vote to to be crucial to the outcome stein, a PhD student at the Uni- are doing Soros’ bidding. remains of civil society,” Bara European politicians used to leave the bloc, while populist with some 3mn expatriate vot- versity of Bielefeld in Germany, “The government is always Bognar, a 40-year-old fi nance describe the decaying Ottoman and eurosceptic movements ers registered, almost half of told Reuters. looking for someone to fi ght professional, told Reuters. Empire. have gained ground across the them in Germany. “According to the govern- with, and Soros seems like a “This is the fi rst protest I have He once again threatened af- continent. The “Yes” campaign is also ment one of the centres of these perfect person for this because ever participated in. There is ter the April 16 referendum to Erdogan reaffi rmed that if a backed by the Nationalist people is at CEU ... we should he funds NGOs in Hungary and a level at which you must be sign into law the reinstatement bill on restoring the death pen- Movement Party (MHP), which stand up for academic freedom he funds CEU as well,” Klopf- present, so here I am.” of the death penalty – if it was alty – abolished in 2004 as part held yesterday a giant rally led and for CEU.” stein said. “The method, the lack of passed by parliament – a move of the EU bid – was brought to by its leader Devlet Bahceli in The government has been CEU rector Michael Ignati- dialogue, the eff orts for years to that would automatically end him he would sign it “without Istanbul at precisely the same tightening up on dissent in eff has said the school would annihilate all democratic insti- the EU membership bid. hesitation”. shoreside venue used by Er- other ways as well, proposing continue operations as normal tutions, this cannot be the fu- “Europe will pay for what The president has raised dogan for a giant meeting the Vucic: won more votes than all tighter rules on non-govern- and demanded that the law be ture of us nor our children.” they have done. God willing, hackles in Europe over recent day earlier. the other candidates combined. Macron unveils priorities as presidential race tightens

AFP du Dimanche newspaper that one European border force and put in er Francois Fillon were seeking minister convinced he can still nationalist France, unburdened and neck but both have lost Paris of his fi rst measures would be to place greater protections for Eu- to persuade the roughly 30% of win despite a series of damaging by the EU and the euro currency. ground slightly and would win pass a law setting new ethical ropean industry. voters who are yet to make their revelations about his fi nances. The latest poll published late 23% if the vote were held today. standards for parliament, fol- Asked about a slight fall in minds up. “Everything that doesn’t kill on Saturday confi rmed shift- This would mean they both rench presidential front- lowed by related legislation that support according to recent sur- Analysts say the widely- you makes you stronger,” he told ing momentum seen earlier this qualifi ed for the second round runner Emmanuel Macron will cut the number of MPs by a veys, the independent centrist watched election remains ex- a cheering crowd in Clermont- week following a second and fi nal run-off scheduled on May 7 Fdetailed his priorities yes- third. replied: “They show exactly what tremely unpredictable after a Ferrand in central France on Fri- televised debate between the 11 which Macron is seen winning terday for his fi rst few months in He also foresees a visit to Ber- I feel: that nothing is decided yet. rollercoaster campaign. day. candidates vying to be France’s comfortably. offi ce if elected, as polls showed lin and a tour of European capi- We are entering a crucial phase.” Fillon held what could be one Le Pen and her closest allies next leader. The survey of 1,421 people was the unpredictable race tightening tals to drum up support for his Elsewhere yesterday, his main of his largest rallies so far in will hit the airwaves in a series Le Pen and Macron – dubbed carried out online at the end of just two weeks before voting. plan to deepen economic inte- rivals far-right leader Marine Le southern Paris later in the after- of interviews intended to sway the “fragile favourite” by the last week by the BVA Salesforce Macron, 39, told the Journal gration in the eurozone, create a Pen and scandal-hit right-wing- noon, with the defi ant ex-prime voters tempted by her vision of a Journal du Dimanche – are neck- polling group. Gulf Times 20 Monday, April 10, 2017 INDIA

Tamil Nadu Roundup It’s summer of discontent for BJP in Bihar By Umaima Shafiq IANS The BJP leaders opposing the In the past also, the BJP had longs to another prominent OBC vocal leader, accused Rai of being woman Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Patna move allege that Rai chose to played the Yadav card by ap- – Bania, also a traditional sup- anti-Bhumihar: “He used to say MLC in the state assembly com- Stolen baby ignore some of the well-known pointing Nand Kishore Yadav as porter of the party. that Bhumihars are descendants plex last week. faces, also considered close to the state unit president during Sharma, who is considered of Ravanas... One can imagine He also threatened to stage a recovered ll is not well in the Bihar senior party leaders. the Lalu-Rabri rule to counter- close to senior party leader and his mindset.” protest against party Shah dur- after 2 years unit of the Bharatiya Jana- Beyond these allegations, in balance them. former deputy chief minister Su- Thakur also said that Rai ing his visit to Bihar later this Ata Party (BJP), with some the caste-ridden politics of Bi- BJP’s media face and former shil Kumar Modi, who dominat- should make changes in the new month. “Rai has suspended Lal of the old-timers raising a banner har, anger against Rai has an ap- general secretary Sudhir Sharma, ed the state BJP until last month, executive committee. “There is Babu Prasad as he belongs to the A baby boy stolen from a private of revolt against the newly-ap- parent caste colour. former federal minister and sen- described Rai as a “criminal” scope for change and Rai should emerging Bania caste. We will hospital in Nagercoil town in pointed president of the party’s Rai, a Yadav by caste, was se- ior party leader C P Thakur and and said he had questionable take everyone along to move not sit silent and expose Rai’s coastal Kanyakumari district two state unit. lected to head the state BJP by former minister Sunil Kumar background and had roots in the ahead. His style of functioning dictatorial approach in the party.” years ago was recovered by child Nityanand Rai, the new state the party’s national president Pintoo have criticised Rai for re- contract business and mafi a ac- should not ignore the old faces of When contacted, Rai refuted protection off icers from a couple BJP chief, is the butt of anger of Amit Shah last month to coun- constituting the committee with tivities. the party.” all allegations, saying that some in the same town last week. the party’s senior leaders, who ter Rashtriya Janata Dal chief unknown faces as party offi ce- Sharma also criticised the new Pintoo, along with dozens of people might have diff erences Acting on a tip-off , police arrested have accused him of appointing Lalu Prasad and his two sons’ bearers. state executive, saying it looked other BJP leaders from his own but the BJP had emerged strong Helen and Xavier Bright. The offi ce-bearers of his choice in the growing popularity in the Yadav Both Sharma and Thakur be- more like a “giroh of Rai” (Rai’s caste, on Friday staged a sit-in in Bihar under the leadership of couple confessed that the baby recently reconstituted state ex- community – the most powerful long to the powerful upper caste gang) than the executive body of to protest against suspension of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been born illegitimately at ecutive committee, disregarding among Other Backward Castes Bhumihar – a traditional sup- a prominent political party. party MLC Lal Babu Prasad for and Amit Shah and become more a private hospital on January 5, others’ requests. (OBC). porter of the BJP, and Pintoo be- Sharma, who is known to be a allegedly sexually harassing a popular than ever before. 2015. The hospital nurse Girija Kumar stole the baby and sold it to the couple for Rs50,000. She even gave them a birth certificate Spiritual touch registering their names as parents. The baby was handed over to the government child adoption centre in Tirunelveli, while a search is on for Girija Kumar. Despite strict adoption laws in ‘Jungle girl’ India, childless couples often resort to ‘buying’ stolen babies to avoid red tape and lengthy formalities. Actor, property was not living developer held for alleged fraud

Police in Chennai last week filed a case of cheating against popular with monkeys, actor Ritheesh and his associates for defrauding a non-resident Indian. S Athinarayanan said Ritheesh had taken Rs30mn from him to secure a government contract with an assurance to double say offi cials the amount within three years. Ritheesh also promised to hand Contrary to initial claims, is not able to speak, and they may New Indian Express. Another over his land in Sriperampudur the girl’s rapid improvement have abandoned her near the for- doctor treating her said the girl to Athinarayanan. However when indicates she was recently est road,” he said. “If she was liv- struggles to understand any- the deals failed Athinarayan abandoned by her carers ing with monkeys it would have thing, and makes apelike noises sought police action. been for a few days only, not for and facial expressions. In a separate incident, Anerudhan Agencies a long time. Ankur Lal, the chief medical Ramanathan, 36, the director of New Delhi “It is clear from fi rst time view, offi cer for Bahraich district, said bespoke Casa Grande apartment if you see the girl, that she is only the nature of the child’s disability builders, was arrested for cheating eight or nine years old, but her was “still under investigation”, his partner Kulasekaran of his he discovery of a girl re- facial expressions show that she but it was unlikely she had been share in a building project at portedly living with is disabled, not only mentally but raised in the forest. Semmanchery in suburban Tmonkeys in the forests of also physically,” he said. “When she was found, she was Chennai. northern India, has been com- The forest is closely monitored behaving violently. She had no Anerudhan apparently built and pared to a modern-day Jungle by rangers and CCTV, and it was toilet habits, no communication. sold about 20 villas at a good Book, but offi cials and doctors unlikely she could have survived So it was taken that she had been profit with government approved close to the child say the true in the wilderness for long with- living in the jungle for long,” he documents, but forged papers for story is darker. out being spotted, he added. said. Kulasekaran’s documents in the This week news reports from The chief medical offi cer of But the rapid improvement she same project. Thus Kulasekaran’s Uttar Pradesh said the girl, aged the hospital in Bahraich, where had made since being hospital- villas remained unsold as they around eight, found by forest the girl has been receiving treat- ised now lead doctors to believe were in ‘dispute’. rangers in January living with ment since she was found in she had in fact been raised by and acting like a monkey. She January, said it was diffi cult people. “Initially she was crawl- was reportedly naked, crawled to “say exactly when she was ing but now she is walking nor- OPS campaigns on all fours and screeched at pas- abandoned”. mally – so she hasn’t been in the with dummy sersby. “In India, people do not prefer jungle since birth,” Lal said. According to more extraordi- a female child and she is mentally “The truth of the matter is Jaya coff in nary accounts police had been not sound,” D K Singh said. “So her family didn’t want to look forced to fi ght off monkeys to all the more (evidence) she was after her,” said Ranjana Kumari, In a bizarre incident, ex-chief rescue the girl. left there.” a leading activist in the move- minister O Paneerselvam, But far from being raised by “The way she moved, even her ment to promote the welfare of currently leading the breakaway animals in the Katarniya Ghat eating habits were like that of an young girls in a society where AIADMK group called AIADMK forest range, the girl, who doc- animal,” Singh said. “She would female foeticide persists, and has Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, tors believe has mental and phys- throw food on the ground and eat severely distorted birth rates, es- campaigned with a fibre ical disabilities, was likely to have it directly with her mouth, with- pecially in rural areas. replica of late chief minister been recently abandoned in the out lifting it with her hands. She “Some families value girls Jayaram Jayalalithaa’s corpse wilderness by her carers, the dis- used to move around using only less than boys,” she said. “They for E Madhusudhanan for the trict chief forestry offi cer said. her elbows and her knees.” would rather get rid of the girl April 12 by-polls in R K Nagar J P Singh said the girl was ac- Now, doctors are tasked with than spend money on her. It is a constituency in Chennai last tually found on a roadside near teaching her how to transition to lot more responsibility because week. the forest, not deep in the wil- life as a human, a task that ini- of the social environment we live The seat fell vacant after derness. And though there were tially proved diffi cult because of in.” Jayalalithaa’s death on December monkeys in her vicinity, his rang- her aversion to human interac- She said the Indian state of- 5, 2016. The dummy coff in and ers “never found this girl living tion. fered little help for poor families corpse were placed in an open Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama waters a plant during his visit to Jangchub Chorten in with monkeys”, he said. “She behaves like an ape and with disabled children – “and jeep while Paneerselvam and his Tawang in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh yesterday. “I think the family members of screams loudly if doctors try to when it is a girl, it becomes dou- supporters read out Jayalalithaa’s this girl had been aware that she reach out to her,” Singh told the ble the issue”. achievements. However the stunt was condemned by opposition parties and the public who complained to the Election Commission. The Election Commission forced OPS to remove the ‘coff in’ though Will work more, speak the faction kept insisting that the move was to remind the public of the mystery behind Jayalalithaa’s death. less: Goa CM Parrikar 37 TN colleges make it to the IANS is to speak less and work more. “The Congress is like a rare Panaji This time I have decided to species. Like the wild species national rank list speak less. Whatever work we which the forest department do, people will see for them- tracks down when it is on its Thirty-seven colleges from Tamil oa Chief Minister Mano- selves,” Parrikar said, adding way to becoming extinct. It Nadu made it to the 100 best har Parrikar yesterday that performance would be the (Congress) is there in Karna- colleges list in a national survey Gpromised to “speak less benchmark of his governance. taka, but next year it will dis- conducted by the Ministry of and work more,” and said the During his stint as defence appear from there too, I know,” Human Resource Development Congress Party would soon minister, Parrikar often courted Parrikar said. last week. become a “rare species” on the controversy for his comments. Meanwhile, federal minister Chennai’s Loyola College ranked canvas of Indian politics. “We have to think as to Nitin Gadkari said the BJP did number two, while Tiruchi’s Addressing a rally here, Par- why we dropped from 21 to 13 not do anything illegal to form Bishop Heber and Chennai rikar also said that the Bharatiya (MLAs). We are lucky that the a government in Goa, and re- Women’s Christian College were at Janata Party (BJP) could come to party’s central leadership was vealed some of the behind-the- number 4 and 10 on the list. power in the coastal state only behind us. They gave us full scenes aggressive manoeuver- The other colleges from Chennai because of the party’s central support and to our luck, the ing, which enabled the party, district in the top 100 list are leadership and the lacklustre person who the Congress had which was short of majority, to Ethiraj College for Women (16), abilities of the Congress leader- sent here, was more interested clinch power. Justice Baseer Ahmed Sayeed ship. in being a tourist rather than He also said that the real ar- Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar speaks to BJP chief Amit Shah during a party programme in Panaji College for Women (47), Shri The rally was organised here in government formation,” the chitect of the coalition govern- yesterday. Shankarlal Sundarbai Shasun to felicitate him for giving up chief minister said. ment formation process was Jain College for Women (59) and the Defence Ministry for his Parrikar said the Congress Amit Shah. board, which triggered a series of ation was required to reach the pendent MLAs did not come. I Meenakshi College for Women latest chief ministerial stint and was on its way to becoming an Gadkari explained how Shah developments leading to the BJP majority mark of 21. To counter said make others ministers,” he (59) . BJP president Amit Shah for extinct species and that the worked the phone to good eff ect eventually cobbling together a this, he revealed that a message said, adding that once the Inde- The Chennai Christian College forming the government in four party would also lose the state with Prime Minister Narendra coalition government. was sent across to their camp pendent MLAs got the message, (12) and SDNB Vaishnav College states after assembly elections assembly polls in Karnataka, Modi and key members of the One of the obstacles, he said, that ministerial berths were be- they themselves called and ex- for Women (62) were ranked from in fi ve states earlier this year. which are scheduled for next BJP’s highest decision-making was the reluctance of two Inde- ing allotted to others. pressed willingness to join the Kanchipuram. “One thing I learned in Delhi year. body, the party’s parliamentary pendent MLAs, whose co-oper- “They had delayed. The Inde- BJP camp. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 21 INDIA

TRAGEDY INVESTIGATION CONTROVERSY APPEAL CONTROVERSY Patient left unattended UP man held for raping BJP seeks probe into Bhagwat calls for ban Didn’t assault anyone, in W Bengal hospital, dies child in Delhi on Holi day AAP’s ‘lunch splurge’ on cow slaughter says actor Rampal

A patient died yesterday after he was left Nearly a month after a six-year-old child was Upping the ante against the Aam Aadmi Party Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief A complaint was filed against Bollywood actor unattended for a long time at a government allegedly raped on Holi day in south Delhi, a (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday Mohan Bhagwat yesterday called for a Arjun Rampal for allegedly assaulting a man hospital in West Bengal’s North Dinajpur 32-year-old Uttar Pradesh native was arrested, demanded a judicial probe into the alleged nationwide ban on slaughter of cows. “We have in a club in New Delhi early yesterday, police district, his family said. Golam Ali was the Delhi police said yesterday. Mantram of splurging of public funds on lunches at Chief been striving to protect the cow. We wish the said. But the actor claims the news is “untrue”. admitted to the Raigunj District Hospital for Sidharth Nagar went missing after the crime Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. BJP leader killing of cows should be banned in the entire Rampal tweeted: “Woke up to be flooded by a respiratory problem. “When we talked to was reported on March 13. He was arrested Vijender Gupta also accused the AAP of misleading country,” Bhagwat said at an event to mark the messages of assaulting a fan? Man! Where do nurses on duty, they said the hospital did not on Saturday night. “Mantram worked at a people about ordering a probe into the controversy. birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir Jain. He said people make this news up from? Not assaulted have oxygen masks. Even after I arranged food stall in south Delhi’s Nehru Place. He “(Delhi Deputy Chief Minister) Manish Sisodia it was for the government to make laws on this. anyone. Untrue. Fake news.” The alleged for a mask, he was not attended to for a long found the six-year-old girl playing in a park has not set any inquiry on the issue. Tell us who are “States where we have our volunteers, those incident occurred at Club Privee in a complex time,” Ali’s son said. “I urged the nurses to and took her to a deserted place and raped conducting the inquiry. Tell us when and where the state governments have brought in laws. But at Ashoka Road around 3.30am yesterday. attend to my father as his condition was her,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil inquiry was set,” Gupta said. “I want Manish Sisodia our desire is the law should be for the entire According to the complaint, the actor got critical. I almost begged them, but they Baaniya said. The girl’s father, a resident of to come out in public and inform when and what country,” he added. Bhagwat said any violence angry over a photographer trying to take his delayed treatment,” he added. The family Navjeevan Camp in Govind Puri area, had committee was formed to look into the issue. This in the name of cow slaughter defames the photos. He allegedly snatched the camera and their sympathisers staged a protest after lodged a missing complaint with the police on is a clear case of fooling the people and trying to cause, but added that those making eff orts to and threw it, which then hit Shobhit, the Golam Ali died. the night of March 13. use public money for personal use,” said Gupta. save the cows should continue to do so. complainant, on his head and injured him. Kerala CEOs to hold underwater meeting against global warming

By Ashraf Padanna of reducing carbon footprint to Thiruvananthapuram their campuses. “The idea is also of urging opinion and policy makers to erala’s seaside holiday take adequate steps to safeguard destination of Kovalam ocean life,” he said. The CEOs Kwill witness another un- will be communicating with derwater event today, this time white boards and hand signals. to highlight global warming. The team is also planning to Chief executive offi cers of com- form a group, Beach and Marine panies based in the Technopark, Environment Protection Club the state’s hub of information (BMEPC), of hoteliers on the technology industry here, will go southern Indian coasts, which undersea to draw attention against will be launched on June 8, the the growing carbon footprint. World Oceans Day. They describe the scuba-dive It will take up the routine conference as the world’s fi rst beach and underwater cleaning and hope it would take their to keep the marine life safe. Protesters clash with security forces near a polling station in Srinagar yesterday. message against marine pollu- Scuba divers last month held a tion to a new level. Five CEOs cleanup campaign with the slo- will participate in the meeting gan, “Did Your Sea the Plastic” to along with their assistants 10m create awareness among the pub- under water in the Arabian Sea. lic, vendors and hoteliers here. They will sit on steel chairs They warn that there will be around a U-shaped table and more plastic waste in the sea sign a memorandum of under- than fi sh by 2050 unless the standing during the 30-minute tourism industry wakes up and Eight killed, 70 hurt in conference. They will also take a cleans the debris of their act. pledge to keep the sea clean and “When you turn the ocean a release the logo of their cam- dump, it destroys coral reefs, fi sh paign, Ocean Love. and birds, sea vegetation and all Three months back the beach the marine life,” Peter said. witnessed India’s fi rst underwa- “The conference will take a ter wedding after diving instruc- pledge to protect the ocean and Kashmir poll violence tor Nikhil Pawar fell in love with the marine life and draw up a Slovak tourist Eunika Pogran here. long-term and sustainable ac- Ex-CM Farooq Abdullah chines) at some places,” Shant- Five more were killed in the failed in giving a peaceful at- ities suspended Internet serv- They underwent two days of tion plan.” slams state government for manu, the state’s chief electoral day-long clashes, with two of mosphere for people to come ices across the Kashmir Valley training before the wedding. Hema Menon, who heads the its failure to maintain law offi cer, said. them succumbing to multiple and vote,” he told reporters. for fear of widespread protests. The CEOs also underwent a Kerala operations of the Califor- and order “It was not a good day for all pellet injuries from the shot- “Have contested six elections Police had also detained hun- rigorous training yesterday to nia-headquartered UST Global, of us. Eight civilians were killed guns which paramilitary forces over 20 years and have never dreds of young people and sep- hold the meeting wearing the is the only woman CEO partici- Agencies and 70 were wounded,” Shant- use in Kashmir for crowd con- seen this level of violence in aratist activists in the run-up to scuba gear under the supervision pating in today’s conference. Srinagar manu, who uses only one name, trol. elections in Kashmir,” Abdullah the poll, sources said. of Bond Safari, a Kovalam-based Others are Dinesh P Thampi told reporters. Polling had to be halted in tweeted. Around 500,000 soldiers are company off ering scuba diving (vice-president, Tata Consul- Many were grievously injured more than dozen places amid a He accused Chief Minister deployed in the state. services, which organised the tancy Services), Shyam Kumar ight civilians were killed with bullets fi red by police and call by top Kashmiri separatist Mehbooba Mufti of failing to Ahead of yesterday’s polling, undersea wedding as well. (CEO, NEOLOGIX), Raja Gopal in Jammu and Kashmir paramilitary troops, hospital leaders opposed to Indian rule provide a conducive atmos- the Indian government had sent Bond Ocean Safari managing Iyer (CEO, USD Group) and Rony Eyesterday when police sources in Srinagar said. to boycott the by-election. phere for voting. in 20,000 additional paramili- director Jackson Peter said the Thomas Zachariah (CEO, Avon opened fi re at protesters who The electoral offi cer said Only 6.5% of voters turned “Mehbooba Mufti is respon- taries. CEOs would take the message Mobility). stormed polling stations during more than 100 government out to cast their ballot, Shant- sible for this situation. There is Armed encounters between a by-election for a parliamen- personnel, including police and manu said, 26% less than in the mismanagement,” he said. rebels and government forces tary seat, a top offi cer said. paramilitary offi cers were also last elections held in 2014 and The by-election is being held have become more frequent Australian PM arrives in Delhi State and paramilitary police injured in the clashes. the lowest ever participation to fi ll a vacant seat in the Lok since the killing of rebel leader fi red bullets and shotgun pel- In the Charare-e-Sharif area recorded in any election in the Sabha, India’s lower house of Burhan Wani by security forces Australian Prime Minister Gopal Baglay tweeted. This is lets as thousands of protesters of Budgam two people were state. parliament. last July sparked widespread Malcolm Turnbull arrived in Turnbull’s first bilateral visit shouting slogans against Indian killed when the paramilitary Former state chief minis- A second by-election in the unrest. New Delhi yesterday evening to India since he assumed rule charged into voting booths Border Security Force fi red at ter Farooq Abdullah, who is state for a separate Lok Sabha Police and army offi cials say on a four-day state visit to India. off ice in September 2015. His in Budgam district near the protesters, he said. contesting the Srinagar seat, seat is set to take place on April dozens of local youths have “Welcoming a valued friend and predecessor, Tony Abbott visited main city of Srinagar. Another person was killed in slammed the government for 12 in Anantnag. joined the rebel ranks since partner. PM @TurnbullMalcolm India in September 2014 and this “Violent protests happened the Beerwah area of the same its failure to maintain law and The results of both polls are then. arrives in New Delhi on his was followed by Prime Minister at many places in Budgam. Pro- district when paramilitary order. expected to be announced on At least 29 armed militants, State Visit to India,” External Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia testers damaged and snatched police opened fi re at a stone- “Elections should have been April 15. mostly locals, have died fi ghting Aff airs Ministry spokesman in November that year. EVMs (electronic voting ma- throwing crowd. peaceful. This government has Ahead of the polling, author- government forces this year.

TV anchor reads report of Bus, car trapped husband’s death on live TV as road caves in Agencies pened a few days ago near the Chennai flyover. Agencies Duster, she immediately had a proud” of the way Kaur handled The Anna Square-Vadapal- New Delhi hunch her husband had died in the most diffi cult of situations. ani bus (25G) has stopped at the the crash,” news chief Anshu- “It speaks volumes about her ver 40 passengers had bus stop. The driver felt some man Sharma said. sense of duty and professional- a providential escape movement and he thought it television news anchor Kaur only broke down when ism that she continued, and kept Oyesterday when their was a tyre puncture. When he read out details of a car she walked out of the studio af- her calm for another 10 min- bus got stuck in a big crater peeped out, he saw the road Acrash during a live broad- ter fi nishing her news bulletin, utes,” he was quoted as saying. formed by the caving-in of a caving in. The driver asked the cast despite knowing that her her colleagues told the Hindus- Top politicians, including portion of the road at Anna passengers to get down imme- husband had died in the ac- tan Times daily. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Salai in Chennai. diately. After they got down, cident, with people across the “The brave anchor read the Raman Singh, praised Kaur’s A car too got stuck in the the bus started to sink. country hailing her composure details and completed the bulle- “strength in dealing with her hus- crater. Traffi c on the key road During a two-hour opera- and professionalism. tin. IBC24 salutes Supreet Kaur’s band’s demise with extraordinary was aff ected following the in- tion, involving offi cials from Supreet Kaur, 28, of IBC24 courage and composure,” IBC24, bravery & professionalism.” cident. the transport, metro rail, po- news channel in the central state a Hindi news channel, said in a Kaur’s story featured on TV Tamil Nadu Finance and lice and fi re service depart- of Chhattisgarh, was reading the special broadcast. channels and the front pages of na- Fisheries Minister D Jayaku- ments, both vehicles were morning news bulletin on Satur- “In this time of grief, IBC ex- tional newspapers. Many Indians mar said: “Fortunately, there pulled out with the help of a day when she went live to a re- presses its deepest sympathies took to social media to praise her. are no casualties. All bus pas- crane. porter at the scene of a car crash and stands with Supreet Kaur “Just the whole feeling of what sengers and crew have been Jayakumar told reporters the in which three people were killed. and her family.” she must have went through evacuated.” accident might have happened Although the identity of the After completing her show, makes me cry. And yet she man- According to Chennai Met- due to loose soil. victims was not known immedi- Kaur contacted the reporter for aged the entire bulletin,” news ro Rail Limited sources, the He said: “This is the first ately, Kaur realised that her hus- more details and left for the ac- anchor Kavita Singh tweeted. incident happened at 2pm time such an accident has band, Harsad Kawade, was among cident site, media reports said. Kaur has worked with IBC24 for due to the impact of a tunnel happened in Chennai though the dead as he travelled on the Indian journalists have lauded nine years and is a popular anchor. boring machine which was metro rail work has been go- same route in a similar car, IBC24 Kaur’s exemplary commitment “Supreet Kaur: Salute. And drilling beneath Anna Salai, ing on since 2009. We will and national media reported. to her job. deepest sympathies,” author and a few metres from the spot use this as a learning experi- “When the reporter said all An IBC24 news editor told commentator Shobha De wrote where the road caved in. The ence and all precautions will the victims were from Bhilai the Indian Express newspaper on Twitter. She married Kawade Rescue workers prepare to lift a passenger bus from a pit after a road accident happened around be taken to prevent such inci- and were travelling in a Renault that the channel was “extremely last year. caved in, in Chennai, yesterday. 50ft from a cave-in that hap- dents.” Gulf Times 22 Monday, April 10, 2017 LATIN AMERICA US military veterans in a new fi ght — against deportation Veterans face deportation if they are the American Civil Liberties Union convicted of a crime (ACLU) has tracked down nearly 300 of them. AFP They were swept up by changes in Chicago immigration laws, implemented in the mid-1990s, that greatly expanded the types of crimes — known as aggravated iguel and Esperanza Pe- felonies — that trigger the mandatory rez stood outside Chicago’s deportation of legal permanent resi- Mimmigration courthouse, dents. clutching an American fl ag folded into An aggravated felony can be any a triangle in a gesture of respect. crime of violence with a sentence of a The fl ag once fl ew over a US military year or more, including domestic abuse base in Afghanistan, where the couple’s and gun possession without a permit. son Miguel Perez Jr served two tours in “It’s a long list,” that also includes a Special Forces unit. minor drug convictions, said Evelyn The 38-year-old was now jailed, and Cruz, a law professor at Arizona State at the mercy of an immigration judge University and an expert on immigra- inside the courthouse. tion law. The military veteran, a legal perma- Aggravated felonies tie immigration nent resident, was subject to depor- judges’ hands. tation after being convicted of a drug No matter the extenuating circum- crime. Had he been a citizen, he simply stances, such as military service, de- would have served his prison time and portation is mandated. been released. “An aggravated felony...is a death But now he was trying to avoid be- knell to their case,” said Bardis Vakili, coming one of the hundreds of US a senior staff attorney with the ACLU. military veterans, all honourably dis- And so it was for Perez. charged, to be similarly deported. Weeks after his parents stood in Perez thought he had automatically front of the Chicago immigration court become a naturalised citizen when he pleading for their son’s release, he was joined the military — a common mis- ordered deported. conception among immigrants enlisted Miguel Perez talks about his son Miguel Perez Jr during an interview. “The thing that seems unjust to me is in the US armed forces. that he was not illegal,” Miguel Perez Sr Enlistees qualify for expedited natu- In Perez’s case, his family hoped their But it would take weeks for the judge thought was that his “life is over”. return to the US — a process that can said after the deportation order. ralisation, but they still have to apply son’s military service would mitigate to rule in March and for the Perezes to “You have to come to grips with the take years, with no guarantee of suc- “He entered legally and had the right and go through the process. Some are his crime and convince the judge to let learn whether their son could come reality,” he said. cess. to citizenship.” unaware of the requirements, and oth- him stay. home. Barajas now runs a group home in the “A lot of them have had a hard time For now, the younger Perez’s fate ers cannot comply — because they are “I hope today I bring home my son,” On the other side of the US-Mexico border city of Tijuana to help other de- coping,” Barajas said. “It’s very hard to rests with elected offi cials — a clem- serving in foreign lands. Still others have Esperanza Perez said before a cluster border, Hector Barajas lives the life ported veterans. accept the reality that we might be here ency petition with Illinois Governor been victims of bureaucratic bungling. of television news cameras outside the Miguel Perez Jr is trying to avoid. About 30 of them have lived there at for a very long time.” Bruce Rauner and a request that Sena- Convicted in 2010 for the manu- courthouse. Barajas, a 40-year-old US Army vet- one time or another, most in their 60s US laws, perversely, allow deported tor Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, her- facture or delivery of more than two “My son is my hero, is your hero.” eran, was deported to Mexico in 2004. and 70s. veterans to return when they are dead self a veteran, intervene. Neither has pounds of cocaine, Perez was sentenced She was optimistic that the judge He had pleaded guilty to shooting at “Part of our job here is to support — for burial in a US military cemetery. indicated what they will do. to 15 years in jail. He was remanded in would consider the mental scars of war a car. them, help the guys get their IDs, help The ranks of deportees include vet- With Perez still in detention, bills custody by immigration authorities last that drove her son to drug use, and the When he first arrived in Mexico them fi nd jobs, so that they can adjust erans of US wars in Vietnam, Iraq and before Congress to help deported vets year after being granted early release potential dangers he could face in Mex- — a country he had not seen since to their lives down here,” Barajas said. Afghanistan. might be his last hope. from prison. ico, with its drug cartels. he was seven — Barajas said his first The vets are waging legal battles to No one has an exact count, but So far, none has been passed into law. Wall threatens Mexico’s animals without borders

AFP as a world heritage site by Unesco. If the animal populations were split Sonoyta, Mexico The reserve is divided only by a sim- in two and each group left to reproduce ple fence with gaps big enough for the only with the limited number of mates animals to pass through. on its side, the species would degener- hey are not “bad hombres,” as “It was designed specially so as not ate. Donald Trump might say — or to hurt the animals and so they would “If we divide the population of the Tany kind of hombres at all. have no problem crossing,” said Miguel species in two, there will start to be But like the human migrants tar- Angel Grageda, head of natural re- crosses between related animals,” said geted by the US president, the jaguars, sources at El Pinacate.Rain is scarce Grageda. bighorn sheep and deer-like Sonoran in the parched desert, where the heat “Later on we could have problems of pronghorns of northern Mexico have soars as high as 55C.The animals have inbreeding.” a lot to lose from his planned border to trot long distances to look for water, It is not clear when the United States wall. Such species currently roam at food and shelter. will start putting up Trump’s wall or will back and forth across the border They must also be mobile to keep how exactly its course might be plot- of Mexico and the United States in their numbers up when drought or ted through protected zones such as reserves specially protected by both sickness kill off the species in certain this one. countries’ governments. areas. But conservationists are imagining Conservationists fear Trump’s vow “If you just go and put a giant bor- the worst. to build a wall the length of the bor- der wall between their habitat then “We don’t know exactly what the der to keep criminals out of the United you can cut movements off for some results are going to be,” said Flesch. States will doom the beasts to extinc- species which will prevent them from “But we know they won’t to be good.” tion. recolonizing their habitat,” said Aaron Ceballos said various Mexican and It would stop them getting where Flesch, an environmental specialist at US non-governmental groups are pre- they need to go to feed and mate. the University of Arizona. paring a challenge to the wall plan. “Caution, fauna crossing,” reads a “When animals have trouble mov- It is not just the animals who would sign among the cactus and wild bushes ing across the landscape to recolonize suff er from a wall, experts say, but the in the northeastern desert, where deer, those places, the population in those whole desert ecosystem. wild cats, coyotes and wolves criss- places will never be restored.” Desert mammals break up the sun- cross the frontier. Gerardo Ceballos of the Ecological baked ground with their hoofs so that The habitat spans the Cabeza Pri- Institute at Mexico’s National Auton- when it does rain, the water drains un- eta National Wildlife Refuge in Ari- omous University estimates there are derground. zona and the Pinacate and Gran Al- only about fi ve jaguars left on the US By tearing up the vegetation to eat tar Desert over in the Mexican state side. They rely on partners from the it, they help spread the seeds so that of Sonora. The latter is certified Mexican side to mate. desert fl owers bloom anew.

Venezuela protest

A demonstrator builds a fire on the street during a rally against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro’s government in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

POLITICS CO)MMERCE DEFENCE DIPLOMACY COUNTER-INSURGENCY Pakistan president calls Pakistani province to Iranian ships arrive on Pakistan, Kosovo agree to Afghan forces foil deadly Senate, NA sessions export donkeys to China goodwill visit in Karachi strengthen bilateral ties car bombing in Nangarhar

Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain has The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial Two ships of the Iranian Navy, Naghdi and Tonb, The inaugural session of Pakistan-Kosovo The Afghan forces yesterday foiled a deadly car summoned Senate session today, reported government is hoping to attract Rs1bn Chinese arrived in Pakistani waters near port city of Bilateral Political Consultations was held at the bombing plot in eastern Nangarhar province of Radio Pakistan yesterday. According to details, investment under the proposed KP-China Karachi on Sunday on a goodwill and training Ministry of Foreign Aff airs of Kosovo in Pristina Afghanistan. The provincial government said the president has also convened a National Sustainable Donkey Development Programme to visit. The visit is aimed at strengthening mutual on April 6-7. According to a statement issued in a statement that a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Assembly (NA) session on April 12th. Besides the enable the province to export donkeys to China. collaboration and enhancing interoperability by the Foreign Off ice yesterday, Additional Explosive Device (VBIED) was discovered from legislative business, the upper and lower houses The programme is likely to be showcased at an between the two navies through tabletop Secretary (Europe) ambassador Zaheer A Janjua a house in Ghani Khel district, adding that the of Parliament are expected to discuss the overall investment road show of the KP government discussions and exercise at sea. During their led the Pakistan delegation. The delegation VBIED was prepared for an attack. The potential political and security situation in the country in to be held in China later this month. The stay in Karachi, the off icers and men of the ship of Kosovo was led by the Ministry of Foreign target of the attack has not been ascertained so their respective sessions. On March 28th, the programme’s details say the initiative is based will hold professional discussion and interaction Aff airs’s Deputy Director General Muhamet far and the VBIED has been seized amid growing Senate during its session approved the 28th upon sustainable development of donkeys in KP. with their counterparts in the Pakistan Navy. Brajshori. The deliberations covered the entire pressures on anti-government armed militant Constitutional Amendment Bill, consummating “Donkeys are much neglected group of animals Operational training and sports activities have spectrum of Kosovo-Pakistan bilateral relations. groups in this province, Afghan Khaama Press the parliamentary process to revive military in the province. However, it has a value in China also been planned. The ships were accorded a The leaders agreed that holding the first round reported. Meanwhile, at least 25 Islamic State courts for another two years. The NA had earlier as its skin is used for manufacture of high value warm welcome at an impressive ceremony and of consultations between Pakistan and Kosovo militants were killed during the ongoing Hamza passed the legislation and sent it to the Senate. medicines.” were received by Pakistan Navy off icials. was an important milestone. counter-terrorism operations. US soldier Evening prayers dies in anti-IS operation

Reuters est condolences to the family and members of the Pakistani and Islamabad friends of our fallen comrade,” Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek General John Nicholson, the top Islamists. US commander in Afghanistan, But the group has been stead- n American special forces said in a statement. ily losing territory in the face of soldier has been killed “We will always remember heavy pressure both from US air Awhile conducting opera- our fallen comrades and commit strikes and a ground off ensive tions against the Islamic State ourselves to deliver on their sac- led by Afghan forces. group in Afghanistan, the US rifi ce,” Nicholson added. Islamic State’s strength in military said. Afghanistan has fallen to 600- The US-backed Afghan mili- “A US soldier was killed in 800 fi ghters from 3,000 in early tary has vowed to wipe out the action while conducting 2016, Nato has said, adding that group in its strongholds in the operations against ISIS- it killed the top 12 IS command- eastern province of Nangarhar as Khorasan in (Nangarhar) ers in the country last year. People greet one another after evening prayers led by Sheikh Saleh bin Ibrahim Imam Qaba at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore IS challenges the more powerful Afghanistan” The jihadists claimed a deadly yesterday. Taliban on its own turf. assault on Afghanistan’s largest “A US soldier was killed in Nangarhar, which borders military hospital last month, but action while conducting opera- Pakistan, is a hotbed of IS mili- survivors who spoke to AFP said tions against ISIS-Khorasan in tancy. the attackers chanted “Long live (Nangarhar) Afghanistan,” US US forces have conducted a Taliban” in Pashto. Navy Captain Bill Salvin said on number of air strikes on jihadist Last month three American Twitter, referring to a regional bases in the area since August troops have sustained inju- affi liate of the jihadist group. last year. ries when an Afghan soldier Pakistan plans law to protect The identity of the soldier, IS, notorious for its reign of opened fire on them in the killed late on Saturday, was not terror in Syria and Iraq, has been southern province of Hel- revealed. making inroads into Afghanistan mand, the first known “in- “On behalf of all of US Forces in recent years. sider attack” on international — Afghanistan, I off er our deep- It has attracted disaff ected forces this year. owners of off shore assets

Internews ties are now planning to include their hidden assets abroad Minister Ishaq Dar. Islamabad ‘public offi ceholders’ among would be able to dodge dis- Ironically, those who had the benefi ciaries. qualification as they would get earlier facilitated the country’s Pakistan can become world’s 20th Under the draft bill, the immunity from the election billionaires to park their wealth n what might be construed authorities also want to give law. abroad to evade taxes and hide as a controversial move, Pa- protection from prosecution To evolve a consensus on ill-gotten money are now in- biggest economy: UK lawmaker Ikistani authorities are plan- under laws of the Election the draft bill a meeting of the volved in the preparation of the ning to give protection from Commission of Pakistan, stakeholders was convened on scheme. all types of fi scal and election National Accountability Or- Sunday at the Governor House The stakeholders have en- Internews is why UK parliamentarians are perception.“Karachi is a safe laws to those citizens, includ- dinance, Foreign Exchange in Karachi under the chair of gaged AF Ferguson to prepare Karachi keen to strengthen and deepen place for travel.” ing those holding public offi ces, Regulation Act and Anti- Sindh Governor Mohamed Zu- the draft. relations with Pakistan,” British On China-Pakistan Economic who would declare their foreign Money Laundering Act, bair. A leading chartered account- Parliamentarian Rehman Chish- Corridor (CPEC), the UK law- assets under a new amnesty sources said. However, due to some diff er- ancy fi rm, AF Ferguson is the akistan has an immense ti said during a visit to the Kara- maker said they are reviewing all scheme. To the public, the scheme ences among the stakeholders same fi rm that advised both potential to become the chi Expo Centre on the second the aspects of the corridor and it The stakeholders including will be presented as an eff ort another meeting will be held Premier Nawaz Sharif and the Pworld’s 20th largest econ- day of ‘My Karachi Exhibition’. seems that it has a potential for the government and businesses to bring back money stashed before presenting the fi nal draft PTI in the Panamagate case. omy by 2030, a UK lawmaker The Karachi Chamber of Com- British investment. are fi nalising the Foreign Asset abroad, but it actually aims at to Prime Minister Nawaz Shar- But the draft, which is said yesterday, terming the merce and Industry organised “CPEC offers great invest- Tax Bill, 2017 to give a general saving skin of the billionaire if, according to sources. still subject to last-minute country as a land of opportuni- the event. ment opportunities for United tax amnesty scheme. politicians and business execu- During his last visit to Kara- changes, shows a clear tilt ties. Chishti was heading a seven- Kingdom across all the sec- This could be the fourth tax tives, who are facing problems chi, Sharif had called for pre- towards those who cheated “Pakistan has a huge potential member delegation of UK law- tors,” said Chishti, who is also amnesty scheme over the last due to tightening of global fi scal paring a consensus draft of the the system and stashed their as there is a plenty of business makers. the chairman of British Parlia- three years by the PML-N gov- laws, said a source. scheme. wealth abroad in violation of opportunities in the country, He said reality about Paki- mentary Committee on Paki- ernment. The politicians who would However, this draft will be the Foreign Exchange Regu- particularly in Karachi, which stan is totally diff erent from stan. But unlike past, the authori- avail the scheme and declare subject to scrutiny of Finance lation Act. Cockfi ghting: Once-banned bloodsport takes wing

AFP behind the bombed out ruins of dried beans with sprinklings of follow,” Jason Baker, from Peo- Kabul the historic Darul Aman Palace, salt. ple for the Ethical Treatment of an enduring symbol of the de- In a country where women’s Animals (PETA), told AFP. struction wreaked by decades of groups voice a shockingly com- “What does it say about hu- boisterous roar sweeps confl ict. mon refrain to be granted the mankind, when a stadium full of through the crowd as a Outside, opium addicts swad- same basic dignity given to ani- people is bursting with boister- Apair of roosters spar in a dled in wrinkled shawls crouch mals, the birds are sometimes ous applause at the death of an sandy pit, their spurs kicking, along the walls. treated even better than family innocent animal?” wings fl apping and beaks peck- Inside, there is tiered seating members. But it is unlikely to be pro- ing. for two groups of rooster own- “We feed them everything we hibited in a country where the “Bizan! (Hit it),” one spectator ers, bloodsport enthusiasts and cannot aff ord to eat ourselves concept of animal welfare barely barks in Dari. imperious Godfather-like fi g- — anar (pomegranates), kebab, exists. “Bokoshesh! (Kill it),” hisses ures recording gambling bets in grains, almonds, pistachios,” “Cockfi ghting is part of our another. crumpled notebooks. said a 29-year-old rooster own- culture,” said Karim Langari, Cockfi ghting, known in Af- Shouts of “I bet double!” er, requesting anonymity. an elderly rooster owner. “Even ghanistan as “Murgh Jangi”, has compete with “I bet triple!”. Up Training begins at an early under the Taliban cockfi ghting the trappings of a gladiatorial to 200,000 Afghani ($3,000) can age, with no expense spared to happened in secret locations.” contest. exchange hands, a small fortune ensure that they win. Foul play is common and Wings outstretched, the avian in a country wracked by poverty. The owner demonstrated to cockfi ghts can easily devolve fi ghters tear into each other as “People may not have food to AFP how his roosters are made to into gunfi ghts or knife fi ghts bets furiously exchange hands. eat, but they come here to bet,” jog to improve their lung capacity amid disagreements between ri- Feathers are shredded and said spectator Mohamed Hu- — around the enclosure of a hen. val teams. blood is drawn. mayoon, a private telecom com- Roosters, like men, who are With the owner’s money and In a few seconds, it is over. pany operator.”I have seen very otherwise clumsy tend to be reputation at risk, even roosters One bird collapses and half of poor people walking out rich.” more disciplined around fe- who are too weak or badly in- the baying crowd lets out a roar But it is not just about money. males, he joked. jured are pushed to fi ght. of triumph. As rampant joblessness and a But fi ghting roosters rarely Some matches are over quick- Cockfi ghting, like all ani- roiling confl ict spur pessimism In this photograph taken on February 24, 2017, Afghan men watch roosters spar in a fighting ring on the live past the age of three and ly when a bird takes fright. mal fi ghting and gambling, was about the future of the country, outskirts of Kabul. many do not survive their fi rst Back in the amphitheatre, the banned under the Taliban’s ancient bloodsports — however bout. 29-year-old owner’s rooster 1996-2001 rule. brutal — off er a sense of beguil- perienced in four decades of war. nents have to be equally sharp. Some perform improvised Birds do not usually fi ght to fl apped and collided with its ri- But the gory bloodsport, a ing escapism. But unlike war, cockfi ghting is In between the bouts, owners surgeries — gluing together the death, but they can be blind- val, but soon ran away. symbol of masculinity and viril- From cockfi ghting to quail a contest of equals. cradle roosters beneath woollen cracked beaks, stitching together ed and sometimes bloodied with His face scrunched in agony. ity, has since made a swift come- fi ghting to buzkashi — polo with Only birds of the same size shawls, their puny claws dangling broken feathers and sucking out fatal injuries. “Nothing upsets me more than back as a popular winter pastime a headless animal carcass — Af- and weight are paired against below, feeding them energy drinks clotted blood pooled in the necks “Cockfi ghting (is) illegal in when my rooster loses without a in Afghanistan. ghanistan’s violent pastimes are each other in a fi ght while the directly from an oral syringe. of their fowls. many parts of the world, and if fi ght,” he said, vowing to cook the Kabul’s biggest amphitheatre redolent in some ways of the taped-on spurs attached to their Others delicately swab their Hawkers move through knots Afghanistan wants to be seen as carcass of the losing bird. “It’s not for cockfi ghting is tucked away tumult that the country has ex- claws to infl ict damage on oppo- injuries with moist sponges. of people, selling boiled eggs and a progressive nation, it should about money, it’s about pride.” Gulf Times 24 Monday, April 10, 2017 PHILIPPINES

Duterte reviews plan Govt ‘still committed’ for smoking ban

By Catherine S Valente Manila Times

resident Rodrigo Duterte to improved China ties is still reviewing an ex- Pecutive order (EO) call- By Catherine S Valente and enhancing our relations ests in the South China Sea, and by the Philippines in the West over territory within the coun- ing for nationwide smoking Manila Times with our neighbours and part- safeguarding peace and stability Philippine Sea. try’s 200-nautical-mile exclu- ban, a Palace offi cial said. ners in the region,” Abella said. there.” Duterte also bared a plan to sive economic zone. “There is no specifi c date The Palace offi cial issued the Abella said Duterte’s order visit Pagasa Island, a municipal- “But we need to put up struc- yet on when the executive or- alacanang has allayed statement after Chinese foreign was only meant to assure “the ity under Palawan province, and tures where our troops can stay. I der on the smoking ban will be the “concern” of China ministry spokeswoman Hua living conditions, safety and raise the Philippine fl ag there on cannot give you the numbers and signed,” presidential spokes- Mover President Rodrigo Chunying expressed concern personal security of Filipinos in June 12, Independence Day. location for security reasons,” man Ernesto Abella said in a Duterte: smoking ban review Duterte’s order for the military following Duterte’s order. Philippine territory.” Abella clarifi ed that Duterte said Ano in a text message. statement. to strengthen its presence in “We hope the Philippine side “The president’s position on merely wanted Philippine-oc- The Philippines controls 10 “Let us give the president aside from public places, the the West Philippine Sea (South can continue to properly man- the matter is clear and has noth- cupied territory in the South areas in the West Philippine the time to review the EO with Palace said. China Sea). age maritime disputes with ing to do with politics. His in- China Sea to be “developed.” Sea: Pagasa (Thitu) Island, Li- due diligence,” he added. Duterte earlier asked Health In a statement, presidential China and safeguard together structions cover only existing “He wants to develop what we kas (West York) Island, Parola Agriculture Secretary Em- Secretary Paulyn Ubial to draft spokesman Ernesto Abella said the sound and stable situation Philippine facilities and Philip- have already occupied,” Abella (Northeast Cay), Lawak (Nan- manuel Pinol last month said the executive order calling for that the Philippines remains of China-Philippines relations,” pine territory,” he said. said. On Friday, Gen. Eduardo shan) Island, Kota (Loaita) Is- the president would sign the a smoking ban. committed to improving its rela- Hua said. In remarks during a camp Ano, Armed Forces of the Phil- land, Patag (Flat) Island, Panata EO as announced by Duterte Davao City, where Duterte tions with China. The Chinese offi cial said her visit in Palawan last Thursday, ippines (AFP) chief of staff , said (Lankiam Cay), Rizal (Commo- himself during a Cabinet was mayor for more than two “The Philippines assures all country would continue “de- Duterte ordered the military to the military would reinforce dore) Reef, Balagtas (Irving) meeting. decades, has been implement- claimant countries that we re- fending its territorial sovereign- deploy troops and fortify unoc- troops stationed on eight islands Reef, and Ayungin (Second Tho- Under the EO, smoking in- ing a total smoking ban in pub- main committed to improving ty and maritime rights and inter- cupied islands and reefs claimed and a shoal, and could still take mas) Shoal. doors could be prohibited, lic places. Palace greets people during Holy Week

Agencies our worldly pre-occupation” Manila this Holy Week. “I am likewise making an appeal to our leaders and co- alacanang has wished workers in government for a Filipinos a quiet and weeklong ceasefire,” Angara Mreflective Holy Week, said. while Sen. Sonny Angara hoped “This is a time for all of us, the week-long Catholic ob- especially those in public serv- servance would be free of po- ice, to rise above differences litical bickering. and release ourselves from po- At the same time, detained litical bickering, feud, conflict, Sen. Leila de Lima urged the quarrel and other unfriendly faithful to continue praying for actions that only divide our the victims of injustice as well people and our country,” he as the country’s leaders to be said. able to rightly govern the na- De Lima expressed hope that tion, Philippine Daily Inquirer the faithful would use this week reported. to reflect on their life. In a statement, presidential “I pray that whatever that spokesperson Ernesto Abella is disturbing our minds and wished everyone “a quiet and hearts would dissipate; and for renewing week for all.” an end to bickering as well as He said it was his hope killing of lives that are innocent that the Holy Week would be and helpless. And may the les- a “time for spiritual renewal sons... guide us daily,” she said. to strengthen love and deep “Let us continue to pray for our compassion for fellow Filipi- leaders to be guided to the right nos.” way of governance and for our For his part, Angara urged people, especially victims of Filipinos to take “a break from injustice.” A layman of the Roman Catholic Church blesses palms during Palm Sunday celebrations in Bulacan, north of Manila yesterday. OFW’s crippled son is Education dept strengthens new drug war victim computerisation programme

Agencies a friend’s house nearby. Forced cally empty-handed; the employ- By Neil Alcober computers, terminals, laptops, before the delivery of the IT and Management-Procure- Manila to ride with the group, Raymart er asked her to leave her belong- Manila Times projectors, uninterruptible packages. ment Service. Moreover, De- was last heard crying for help ings behind as a sort of guarantee power supplies, automatic volt- Recipient schools must have pEd tapped the United Nations from anyone he saw on the street. of her return to Kuwait. When met age regulators and other net- secured multimedia classroom Development Programme to uzviminda Siapo dreamt of They went around the barangay by her elder brother Bong at the he Department of Edu- work accessories. Training on with proper electrical wir- procure and deliver the unen- giving her children a better until they reached an area known airport, all she had was a handbag cation (DepEd) has fur- simple troubleshooting is also ings and outlets duly certifi ed ergised IT equipment packages Llife when she left for Ku- as Bangkulasi. The gunmen re- and two boxes of toys for her other Tther strengthened the given to the benefi ciaries. by the municipal/city electri- to recipient schools not pow- wait two years ago. portedly asked Raymart to get child, a 10-year-old girl. information communication As of December 2016, a to- cian, computer tables, 50 pieces ered by local grid in Luzon and But last week, news from off the motorcycle and run. He “Kuya” was all she could say technology literacy of students tal of 53,785 DCP packages mono chairs, and at least two Mindanao, and the IT packages home, the kind nightmares are wouldn’t. And he couldn’t even before breaking into tears and and teachers by integrating ICT have been delivered—46,440 stand fans. for senior high school under the made of, sent the domestic help- if he wanted to—for Raymart was collapsing in his arms. in the school system, and by of which were delivered to el- The school must also secure 2015 and 2016 DCP budget, re- er and Overseas Filipino Worker born with bilateral club foot (both Siapo headed straight to the providing computer laboratory ementary school recipients and suffi cient electrical lighting, spectively. (OFW) rushing back. feet were deformed). “When my barangay hall, where she con- packages to secondary schools 7,345 to secondary school re- while schools without access to For this year, the government On March 29, a group of men son refused, they asked him to fronted village offi cials—including and e-classroom to elementary cipients. electricity will be provided with has allotted P6bn funds under in masks abducted and killed her sit down instead. Then, they shot Cariquitan, the desk offi cer—for schools nationwide through its To ensure that recipient an alternative computer labora- the General Appropriations 19-year-old son Raymart a day him. Just like that,” Siapo said. allowing the neighbour to make computerisation programme schools are capable of main- tory packages. Act. With this, the Education after a neighbour tagged him as A Navotas police report said false accusations against Raymart, (DCP). taining information technology In the early years of imple- department targets to deliver a marijuana peddler in Barangay Raymart was shot twice in the for not bothering to check if they Under the DCP, schools re- equipment, the DepEd division mentation from 2008 to 2013, 29,755 computer packages to NBBS, Navotas City, Philippine head. His mother added a pain- were true. “Sir, tell me what to do.” ceive information technol- offi ce IT offi cials must conduct DCP packages were procured 24,518 additional school recipi- Daily Inquirer reported. ful detail: The killers broke her “This is the reason why my ogy equipment such as personal a school readiness assessment by the Department of Budget ents nationwide. “All it took was a false accusa- son’s arms, too. son was murdered, sir, tell me tion for these people to murder my “I’m working hard abroad just what to do. Tell me! Because I son,” Siapo, a single parent, said in so I could raise my kids well. But had to kneel down and kiss my an interview earlier this week. this is what I’d come home to? employer’s feet three times be- “They did not bother to in- My dead child!” said Siapo, who fore I could come home. Give me vestigate, they did not bother to arrived from Kuwait on April 2. an answer, please,” she said. Thousands of residents camp out in verify. They just killed him.” She said she learned about Cariquitan explained to Siapo The night before the mur- her son’s fate through a mes- that he was able to show Raymart der, Raymart and a neighbour sage sent by a niece on Facebook: “the complaint” against him and had a heated argument that “Tita, Raymart’s gone. Bonnet- that he asked the teenager to sign province amid fears of aftershocks ended with the latter going to wearing men killed him.” it. He maintained that he only did the barangay hall to accuse Ray- Her world shattered in an in- his job and had nothing against mart of many things, like selling stant, Siapo asked her employer her son; he actually opted not to DPA ing to provincial Governor Hermilando other relief assistance. “Everyone’s trau- marijuana. The neighbour, iden- to allow her to leave immediate- confront Raymart about the al- Manila Mandanas. matised because in the past 100 years, it is tifi ed only as Pejie, said his piece ly. The answer was no. legations for he didn’t want to “No one was killed and only two were in- only now that our town was jolted by strong before desk offi cer Christopher She begged her boss for days embarrass him that day. jured, but the damage to property is exten- earthquakes,” he added. Cariquitan, who had everything and had to show online news of Cariquitan suggested that housands of residents in a Philip- sive,” Mandanas said. The quakes on Saturday triggered power recorded in the logbook. Raymart’s death as proof of the Siapo lodge a formal complaint pine province struck by a series of More than 2,000 residents fl ed their outages and landslides and caused parts of The following night, armed tragedy back home because her in the police station, assuring Tearthquakes in short succession have homes in Mabini, while another 3,000 peo- many houses and buildings to collapse, ac- men on motorbikes came look- employer, cold and unmoved, her of the barangay’s assistance camped outside their homes amid fears of ple evacuated to temporary shelters in the cording to disaster relief offi cials. ing for the teenager. An uncle kept saying that “you’re just in pressing charges. From the more aftershocks, local offi cials said yes- city of Batangas, the regional civil defence “We are still experiencing strong after- who served as Raymart’s guard- making that up.” barangay hall, Siapo proceeded terday. offi ce said. shocks up to now,” Mandanas said. ian said up to 14 men arrived and She was fi nally granted per- to her son’s wake. Slowly, she Two people were injured in Saturday’s “Many residents spent the night outside Four earthquakes jolted Mabini and San fi ve of them entered their tar- mission after going down on her walked toward the white coffi n, earthquakes, with epicentres located in the their homes and others stayed at the plaza,” Luis in short succession on Saturday, the get’s house. They couldn’t fi nd knees to kiss her employer’s feet. hugged it, and broke down once towns of Mabini and San Luis in the prov- Mabini town mayor Noel Luistro said in a strongest of which had a magnitude of 6.0, Raymart but later located him at Siapo arrived in Manila practi- more: “Son, Mama’s home!” ince of Batangas, south of Manila, accord- radio interview, as he appealed for tents and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology said. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Hasina Bangladesh president rejects off ers prayers at Ajmer mercy appeal of HuJI leader shrine HuJI group chief Mufti Abdul “But the president has rejected attacks by HuJI on a church, Hannan was given the death all three mercy petitions,” his press secular gatherings and mosques sentence in 2008 for the secretary Joynal Abedin said. used by Islam’s minority sects. IANS attack on the British High Jail authorities would now go Bangladesh has suff ered a Jaipur, India Commissioner in 2004 ahead with the executions, dep- spate of attacks on secular ac- uty inspector general of prisons tivists, foreigners and religious AFP Touhidul Islam said. minorities in recent years. angladesh Prime Minis- Dhaka Authorities have not an- Al Qaeda and the Islamic ter Sheikh Hasina yester- nounced a date but the execu- State group have claimed re- Bday off ered prayers at the tions are expected sometime sponsibility in some cases but shrine of Khwaja Mouinuddin top Islamist extremist this month. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Chisti in Ajmer. under sentence of death Hannan headed the Harkat- secular government has pinned “She along with a few members Ahas lost his last hope ul Jihad Al Islami (HuJI) group. the blame on local outfi ts. of her delegation arrived at the of avoiding the gallows after The attack on the British High There has been a resurgence dargah around 11am and spent 30 Bangladesh’s president rejected Commissioner in 2004 was of Islamist extremist attacks in minutes in the premises,” Khadim a mercy plea, an offi cial said among the most high-profi le of recent weeks, with at least three Kamaluddin Chisti said. yesterday. a series of assaults by the group being claimed by IS. “She wished for peace and Bangladesh’s highest court across Bangladesh in the late The fatalities included the prosperity in her country as well last month upheld a 2008 death 1990s and early 2000s. head of intelligence of an elite as good bilateral relations with sentence on Mufti Abdul Han- The decision to reject clem- security force tasked with tack- India,” the Khadim said. nan and two associates for an ency comes just weeks after ing Islamist militancy across Laying a chaadar over the ma- attack on a shrine that left three militants attempted to free the Muslim-majority country. zaar, Hasina performed her ‘zi- people dead and injured the Hannan by hurling bombs at Police and army commandos yarat’ with the help of Khadim British high commissioner at police vans as police transferred have arrested scores of suspect- Kamaluddin Chisti. the time. him between prisons. ed extremists and killed more The dargah committee wel- Last month the trio wrote to By the time Hannan was ar- than 60 people since an attack comed the Bangladesh Prime President Abdul Hamid seeking rested in late 2005 more than on a Dhaka cafe last year that Minister at Buland Darwaja. clemency. 100 people had been killed in left 22 dead. In this file photo, Mufti Abdul Hannan being taken for a court hearing. Dedicated to Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti, the 13th century Sufi saint, the dargah is one of the most important pil- grimage centres for people from all faiths. Millions team in to Ajmer to off er prayers here every year from Pak national goes missing in Nepal diff erent parts of the world. Unprecedented security ar- rangements were put in place IANS resident of Faisalabad, had re- of £3,000 and other fringe dia. He had last contacted his fi cer. The authorities were in at the dargah sharif for Prime Islamabad tired as lieutenant colonel from benefi ts. wife after arrival. contact with Nepal over the Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit. the Pakistan army. Afterwards, He readily accepted and ar- The website through which disappearance of Zahir. Dargah was also vacated before he had applied online for a rived in Nepal on April 6 for he applied for the job and its Pakistan’s foreign offi ce she reached Ajmer, 140km from retired Pakistan mili- position at a United Nations an interview where he was re- Twitter account has now been spokesperson Nafees Zakaria Jaipur. tary offi cer, who had offi ce in Nepal. ceived by a Pakistani national deactivated. It is reported that also confi rmed the incident, The main bazaar near the Agone to seek employ- Zahir reportedly received named Javed Ansari, the ARY the website and the call he saying the matter has been dargah was closed. Mahinda Rajapakse ment in Nepal, has reportedly a call from a man named reported. received was being operated raised with the Nepalese gov- Earlier, Hasina reached Jaipur gone missing, sources have Mark Thompson from Brit- Zahir went missing from the from India. ernment and the Pakistani em- yesterday morning from where she said. ain, who off ered him a sen- town of Lumbini, which is just A complaint has been fi led bassy was in contact with the with other members left for Ajmer Rajapakse’s Muhammad Habib Zahir, a ior position with a salary 5km from the border with In- over the missing army of- local authorities. in a helicopter, offi cials said. snap polls plan was Millions seek justice in village courts

By Mizan Rahman “The Bangladesh government Sudipto Mukerjee, UNDP representatives and offi cials and mined by the village courts “Shortage of judges is the ploy to win Dhaka aims to bring public services at Bangladesh country director, 3,529 village police members panel to resolve the disputes. main reason behind the ever people’s doorsteps. The Vil- said the Bangladesh govern- have been trained to support According to the Supreme increasing backlog of cases,” lage Courts project is one of the ment shows a high-level of Village Courts. Court sources, a whopping 1,051 observed Law Commission Indian bout 7mn people sought services that can improve lives, commitment to improve access In the fi rst six years of the cases are being added every day chairman Khairul Haque. justice through local ar- bringing peace and harmony in to justice for all people, and in project, 69,200 disputes have to the existing backlog, already “At least 4,000 judges are Abitrations in last seven the rural areas of the country,” partnership with the European been successfully resolved out in millions, due to a shortage of required for tackling the cur- backing years under the Activating he added. Union and UNDP, this will be of 87,200 reported to the Vil- judges in the country. rent backlog in our coun- Village Courts in Bangladesh Mario Ronconi, head of Co- possible to achieve. lage Courts, and over 6,000 At this rate, around 384,000 try. But we have only around (AVCB) project. operation of the European Un- He said the new scaled-up cases have been referred to new cases will pile up in a year, 1,600 posts for judges and Agencies This was disclosed at a meet- ion Delegation to Bangladesh, phase of the Village Courts Village Courts by the District according to estimates provided some 400 of them are now Colombo ing in Dhaka on the achieve- said, “The EU continues its project will bring improved ac- Courts. in a Supreme Court study, in vacant. This is very alarming,” ments of the project that commitment to strengthen so- cess to legal services to over Most importantly, each case addition to the 3.1mn pending said the former chief justice, commenced in 2009. cial justice and to ensure that 21mn mainly people living in had been resolved in average ones. claiming Bangladesh has the ormer Sri Lankan presi- Abdul Malek, secretary, local more people throughout Bang- poverty and rural areas in 1,080 within 28 days, what used to This means it will take at least highest rate of case disposal in dent Mahinda Rajapakse’s government and rural develop- ladesh, especially the rural poor unions in 128 sub-districts un- take more than 2-3 years for 945 days or over 2.5 years to dis- the world. Fdecision to hold snap polls ment division, said the success women and children, can have der 27 districts in all eight divi- petty cases of both civil and pose of all these pending cases “There’s one judge for every in 2014 was a ploy to win In- of the AVCB project in the last access to justice and have the sions, including the Chittagong criminal nature. even if no new case is fi led from 10,000 people in the USA and dian backing and stave off hu- seven years provided access possibility to fi nd a solution to Hill Tracts area. Also, 293mn taka ($3.79mn) this very day and the disposal for 67,000 in India. But in Bang- man rights abuse allegations at to justice to over 7mn people their disputes and confl icts at The meeting also informed have been recovered as com- rate continues in the current ladesh, we have only one judge the UN, a minister in President mainly in rural areas. community level.” that so far 4,914 Union Parishad pensation that is being deter- pace. for more than 100,000 people.” Maithripala Sirisena-led gov- ernment has alleged, a media report said. Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister S B Dissanayake New Year celebration said the former strongman had Rare rhino killed by intended to win the presidential election so that he could ask In- dia to support him in negating poachers in Nepal the war crime allegations at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). AFP Nepal’s 1996-2006 civil war, “He wanted to win it and then Kathmandu when soldiers on anti-poach- tell India, please back me. I will say ing duties were redeployed to if he had won Sri Lanka, he would fi ght the Maoist guerrilla in- have faced sanctions almost im- oachers have shot dead a surgency. mediately,” Dissanayake said. one-horned rhinoceros But the country has since Rajapakse’s tenure was sched- Pat a national wildlife park made rapid progress in com- uled to end in January 2016, but in Nepal, offi cials said yester- bating the poachers who kill he called a snap presidential day, spotlighting the threat the animals for their prized election in November 2014. faced by the rare animals. horns, drawing praise from He was defeated by Sirisena Offi cials on Saturday found conservation groups and who ended his nearly a decade- the male rhino with its horn activists. long rule. gouged out in Chitwan Nation- The horns fetch huge prices Sirisena’s win enabled the in- al Park, the country’s biggest in some Asian countries where ternational community along rhino conservation area. they are used for medicines with the UNHRC to adopt a soft- “We performed a post- and jewellery. er approach towards Sri Lanka as mortem and found that it Nepal is home to about 645 it was given more time to achieve had been hit by a bullet on its rhinos, out of which about 600 reconciliation with the Tamil mi- head,” the park’s spokesman live in Chitwan National Park. nority and to set up human rights Nurendra Aryal said. The park is in the proc- accountability mechanisms. Aryal said a team had been ess of relocating fi ve rhinos to Rajapakse’s government was set up to investigate the in- another conservation area in under pressure after three con- cident and security had been far-west Nepal to boost their secutive UNHRC resolutions. He tightened at the district population. dubbed all resolutions as inter- borders. Shant Raj Jnawali, a rhino fering in Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. In September last year a expert at WWF, said the latest Since Rajapakse’s defeat, his Sri rhino died weeks after poach- death highlighted the vulner- Lanka Freedom Party remains di- ers shot it in the same park, ability of the animals despite vided with one group forming the the fi rst of the rare animals to anti-poaching eff orts from the opposition in the parliament and be killed in the country in over community, park wardens and the other group including min- two years. army. isters like Dissanayake backing Thousands of one-horned “We hope that the inves- Sirisena in the unity government. rhinos once roamed the plains tigation will help us devise According to the UN fi gures, of Nepal, but their numbers new strategies to strengthen up to 40,000 civilians were killed have plunged over the past protection for these animals,” by the security forces during Ra- century due to poaching and Jnawali said. japakse’s regime that brought the human encroachment on their Rhino poaching carries a nearly three-decade-long civil Participants control their bulls during a traditional cart race to mark the Sri Lanka National New Year in Kaduwela near Colombo yesterday. habitat. maximum penalty of 15 years war to an end by defeating the The new year which is common to both majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils dawned on April 14, but celebrations can go on for weeks. The population decline was in jail and a 100,000-rupee LTTE. particularly dramatic during ($1,000) fi ne. Gulf Times 26 Monday, April 10, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko Qatar-Ethiopia ties towards

P.O.Box 2888 new phase of co-operation Doha, Qatar [email protected] QNA Ethiopia and will develop bilateral comprehensive development in the fi rst Muslims emigrated in their fi rst Doha relations in the economic and Horn of Africa in energy, transport migration to Abyssinia. Telephone 44350478 (news), development fi elds. and other sources in co-operation On the display were also the oldest 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) During the committee’s second with neighbouring countries of Kenya, skeleton on earth for the fi rst human Fax 44350474 atari-Ethiopian relations meeting in February last year, Sudan and Djibouti. being lived in Ethiopia about 3.5mn will begin a new phase of representatives from the two countries According to the latest fi gures, years ago. co-operation and co- in the fi elds of foreign aff airs, Ethiopia is the 5th major investor in In early April, Doha hosted a rich Qordination based on the economy, energy and civil aviation renewable energy in Africa after each Ethiopian cultural events aimed at common desire of the two friendly met to put forward visions of co- of South Africa, Morocco, Kenya and strengthening the ties between the countries to establish a solid ground operation for the coming period. Uganda. Qatari and Ethiopian peoples. for stronger future prospects. The Qatari-Ethiopian co-operation Ethiopia also has more than half a The events included theatre and GULF TIMES The future of relations between refl ects keenness of the leaders of the million solar lighting systems. folkloric performances that embody Doha and Addis Ababa represents an two countries to preserve security, Ethiopia has many investment the African dimension and highlight integral model due to the advantages peace, respect for international law opportunities and hosts several the Ethiopian civilisation, which that both countries enjoy for the and resolve disputes by peaceful institutions and diplomatic includes more than 80 ethnic groups, interests of the two countries’ people. means. headquarters, such as the African each with its own language, culture, Astronomers to shed The mutual visits and the Addis Ababa contributes to the Union and many other continental customs and traditions. establishment of a joint ministerial establishment of peace and security political and economic bodies and On the other hand, a number committee as well as the subsequent in East Africa, through its serious and entities that makes Ethiopia enjoy of Qatari charitable societies and signing of co-operation agreements eff ective participation in resolving the many opportunities for investment in organisations have contributed to light on mystery in various fi elds will strengthen the disputes of neighbouring countries the hotel and services sectors. the collection of relief materials Qatari-Ethiopian relations and will such as Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan Policies and strategies that and aids for areas affected by support the future of the ambitious and other countries as well as its stimulate foreign investors as well desertification in Ethiopia and of the black hole relationship between the two important role in supporting the as the establishment of security refugee and poor areas. countries. issues of the Horn of Africa. and peace, broad manpower and Qatari institutions also play Through these various channels Ethiopia’s election as a non- the availability of huge energy make an important role in increasing There is a very interesting piece of news for of communication between the two permanent member of the Security Ethiopia a hub for foreign investors. employment opportunities and work astronomy fans. During a 10-day period that concludes countries, the form of co-operation Council enhances its role in security The Ethiopian government is in the health, education and other on April 14, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) or a will be changed to wider levels, which and peace issues at the global level, keen to expand tax-free markets and sectors. in turn will strengthen relations at all thus strengthening its regional multiplicity of work systems that Qatar and Ethiopia have long network of eight radiofrequency observatories around levels. capacity, supporting and promoting enable businessmen to export their standing relations since decades ago. the world, are pointed towards the ‘supermassive’ The visit of HH the Emir Sheikh the eff ective Qatari role as an products to the Middle East, Asia and In 1995, the establishment of black hole, Sagittarius A (Sgr A), that hides in the Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to intermediary to reduce and resolve America. diplomatic relations between the two Milky Way’s centre. Ethiopia will be a new impetus in the confl icts, and establishing security The cultural relations between countries was offi cially announced. Qatari-African relations, especially and peace in the Horn of Africa and in Qatar and Ethiopia enjoy strong and In recent years, there has been a The observatories hope to gather enough data to the Republic of Ethiopia, where the confl ict zones around the world. constant presence. remarkable development in bilateral piece together the fi rst snapshot a black hole’s event Emir will hold talks with leaders and At the same time, along with its In 2015, Doha hosted the Ethiopian relations, which were expressed by horizon – the “point of no return” threshold after senior offi cials on means of promoting pivotal political and diplomatic Cultural Day, which included a large number of high-level mutual which nothing can escape the black hole’s gravity. and developing bilateral relations, role, Ethiopia is a rapidly developing exhibitions of Ethiopian art, visits and the signing of bilateral in addition to a number of issues of country that has many investment photographs of historic Ethiopian sites agreements strong. These telescopes will collect radio waves emitting from common interest. opportunities that can be used to registered by Unesco, and many old During the past fi ve years, fi gures Sgr A, as well as the neighbouring galaxy Messier 87, a Several agreements and undertake developmental work. and valuable manuscripts. indicate a signifi cant increase in huge elliptical galaxy in the nearby Virgo Cluster, and memorandums of understanding The government is expanding co- The exhibition presented the the number of agreements and stitch them together into visual images. The EHT’s in various fi elds will also be signed operative areas with neighbouring Ethiopian civilisation, geography and memorandums of understanding during HH the Emir’s visit to Ethiopia. countries and other countries as history as a model of tolerance and aimed at regulating and developing resolution is said to be about as good as being able to Last December witnessed a leap well as with local and international peace between Christianity and Islam, relations and providing more count the stitches on a baseball from about 13,000km in the level of the Qatari-Ethiopian institutions. including photographs depicting the opportunities for better investment of away. co-operation with the visit of HE the Addis Ababa is making eff orts country’s historical heritage, obelisks, the potential of the two countries for When astronomers “see” black holes, they are Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin to ensure that there is a multiple old mosques, and places where the the interests of their peoples. Abdulrahman al-Thani, during which actually seeing light from a disk of material around the he met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Ambassadors stress importance of Emir’s visit to Addis Ababa black hole, sitting beyond the event horizon. Anything Hailemariam Desalegn. within the event horizon itself is truly invisible, as that The visit revealed Ethiopia’s Qatar’s ambassador to Ethiopia He stressed the importance of and international issues of joint marks the point at which even light cannot travel fast keenness to encourage and attract Abdulaziz bin Sultan al-Rumaihi Ethiopia as the headquarters of interest including security, peace and Qatari investments and open the highlighted the significance of HH the African Union and one of the countering terrorism, in addition to enough to break free of the black hole’s gravity and way for businessmen, from diff erent the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad rapid economic growing countries, the bilateral relations and ways of escape. But currently, astronomical instruments do sectors, to establish joint projects al-Thani’s visit to Ethiopia which marks in addition to its huge population enhancing co-operation in all areas, not have the resolution to really see the disk closely between the two countries that will the developing bilateral relations in (100mn) and its vast and fertile mainly in the investment sectors. or image its structure. This is why every “image” ever help in enhancing and activating the all areas. agricultural lands. The ambassador underlined that HH Ethiopian economy as well as creating Speaking to Qatar News Agency Meanwhile, in statements to QNA, the Emir’s African tour will eff ectively shown of a black hole in a news article or textbook is positive opportunities for Qatari (QNA), the ambassador said that the Ethiopian ambassador to Qatar, contribute to promote the Arab- an artist’s rendering, rather than an actual picture. But investors to interact with foreign the Emir will discuss with Ethiopian Mesganu Arga Moach, said that African relations, hailing Qatar’s vital that is all about to change. projects with good economic and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn the government and the people of role in establishing peace and stability The EHT makes use of a technique called Very social returns. and President Mulatu Teshome the Ethiopia highly appreciate HH the in Africa, including its important role HE the foreign minister’s visit to relations between the two countries Emir’s visit which will contribute in achieving peace and stability in Long Baseline Interferometry that requires several Ethiopia concluded with the signing of and means of bolstering co-operation to further strengthening bilateral Darfur, Djibouti and Eritrea. telescopes observing the same object from diff erent 11 co-operation agreements in various in all economic, political, investment, relations in all political, economic, He also highlighted Qatar’s locations to create highly detailed images of very, economic, tourism, investment and social and cultural areas, as well as investment and cultural fields. growing humanitarian role in very small sections of infrastructure sectors, supported the regional and international issues of The ambassador added that the the African continent to provide bilateral rapprochement between mutual concern. Ethiopian government values relief and assistance to its people Telescopes the sky. The farther businessmen in the two countries and The ambassador believes that HH the choosing Addis Ababa the first stop of affected by armed conflicts or apart the telescopes enhanced co-operation in peace and Emir’s visit to Ethiopia, the first stop HH the Emir’s African tour, aff irming natural disasters. are pointed are located, the greater security at both international and of his African tour, will contribute to the mutual respect and appreciation A total of 22,000 Ethiopians are the detail they can regional levels. further promoting relations between between the two countries. living in peace and respect in the towards the On the other hand, the Qatari- Doha and Addis Ababa, to achieve the He noted that HH the Emir’s visit State of Qatar, contributing to achieve. The EHT has Ethiopian Joint Technical Committee common will of both leaderships to will provide an opportunity to the development of their second ‘supermassive’ linked the Atacama will play an important role in upgrade bilateral relations to wider consulate and co-ordinate between homeland each from his position, the Large Millimeter/ providing and enhancing investment horizons. the two leaderships on regional ambassador concluded. black hole submillimeter Array opportunities in the Republic of in Chile, the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory in Hawaii, the Large Millimeter Telescope Alfonso Serrano in Mexico, the South Pole Telescope in Antarctica, and other facilities Greece struggling to promote recycling in France and Spain to utilise the longest baselines possible. This will allow astronomers to study not only the structure of the disk around the black hole, but By Tatyana Rassos/AFP also to test general relativity, get a better look at how Athens the black hole actually feeds on material, and maybe even determine how the outfl ows and jets that are so steady stream of EU fi nes and common among black holes are actually created. two decades of trying have Sgr A has a mass of about 4mn Suns. Because it is failed to get recycling off the ground in Greece, where so massive and relatively close at a distance of 25,600 A eco-awareness is only half-heartedly light-years, it is the largest black hole visible in our sky. promoted by authorities. But large is a relative term as well – current estimates According the European place the size of the black hole at 100 Astronomical environment agency, only 16% of household waste is recycled across the Units (AU) or less. One AU is the average distance country, compared to a 50% target by between Earth and the Sun, 150mn km. Some estimates 2020 under EU directives. even indicate that the black hole could be as small as In contrast, the European recycling the distance between Mercury and the Sun, just 46mn average is 28%, with Slovenia leading at 49% and Latvia bringing up the rear km. at 3%. The amount of information obtained from the In Athens, with nearly 4mn EHT will be so immense that it is too large to transfer inhabitants out of the country’s 11mn, digitally – it will be stored physically and taken to the only 13% of eligible waste is recycled, town hall fi gures show. Max Planck Institute in Germany, and the Haystack “We don’t have a clear strategy and City recycling bins await pickup near South Shafer Street in Athens. Observatory in Massachusetts for processing. Some then we don’t have a political will time in 2018, we may fi nally have our fi rst picture of to materialise this strategy,” notes tourism industry that requires an programme in Greece, says the logic with people buying less and throwing the region immediately around a ‘supermassive’ black Dimitris Ibrahim, a spokesman for the unspoilt environment. behind the municipal waste collection away less too. Greek branch of Greenpeace. The European Court of Justice has – which charges residents depending In Athens alone, waste hole. Around many parts of the country, repeatedly condemned Greece on this on property size – is fl awed. generation fell by around 35% and especially in the countryside, score, levelling fi nes amounting to “It is not (calculated) according between 2011 and 2016 according garbage is still scattered piecemeal millions of euros (dollars), with the to the waste you throw away, it’s to municipal figures. To Advertise in makeshift dumps – one of them latest ruling in September. according to the (surface area in) And another recent phenomenon on a hillside on Andros island “The mentality needs to change, square metres of your house,” she said. – mass immigration – has also found [email protected] actually collapsed under the strain and urgently,” says Antigone Therefore, a small house with 10 itself linked to waste management, Display in 2011, burying a beach below in the Dalamaga, head of the Ecological people, which every day throws out albeit of an irregular sort beyond the Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 process. Recycling Society association. 10 garbage bags, pays the same as one scope of offi cial statistics. In 2014, Greece still had some It takes “incentives and counter person living in an equivalent home. To make a living, many economic Classified 70 dumps, most of them tolerated incentives...you need to convince your If people had to pay for their migrants now hunt the streets of Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 if not actively run by municipal citizens of the necessity and of the garbage bags, as is the case in northern Athens and other major cities for authorities. positive aff ect of recycling,” she notes. Europe, they would be more motivated metal, paper and plastic, hoping to sell Subscription In June 2014, nearly a decade after a But even today, Greeks are only to throw out less, Krimnanioti argues. it to scrap yards. [email protected] prior conviction, Greece was ordered encouraged to sort out their household Instead, most Greeks just put their Roma groups ply a similar trade, and to pay a fi ne of nearly 15mn euros waste on a voluntary basis. trash is plastic supermarket bags, have in the past been chased down by every six months over the continued No fi nes are involved. which are freely available at the till. authorities for burning plastic cables 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved operation of illegal landfi lls. And Mary Krimnanioti, who The economic crisis gripping the to get at the copper within, polluting This despite the country’s prized runs the EU-funded “Zero Waste” country since 2010 has helped a little, the environment in the process. Gulf Times Monday, April 10, 2017 27 COMMENT Trump’s Syria strikes accomplish nothing

The US bombing of a said of Assad: “Do we think he’s a hindrance? Yes. Are we going to Syrian airfi eld is fl ip- sit there and focus on getting him fl oppery at its worst out? No.” What the erratic fl ip-fl oppery of By Moustafa Bayoumi Trump’s foreign policy really means Washington is that America’s foes can easily manipulate the Trump administration into greater and greater military onald Trump, the man quagmires. who just over a month ago Has the administration considered wanted to bar entry of all how Lebanon’s Hezbollah will react DSyrian refugees into the to the US bombing their close ally United States, now wants us to think Bashar al-Assad? Is the Trump that he cares deeply about Syrian administration prepared to put large children. I don’t believe it. numbers of troops on the ground to What I do believe is that our accomplish its goals? Will it militarily president is a bad actor. He was challenge Russia if needed? Or does a bad actor on his old television the US military now only “send show, and he’s still a bad actor messages”? today. And he’s a bad actor in both The administration seems to senses of the term, which is to say have no vision of what it wants to his actions are poorly executed and accomplish or what it can accomplish. morally questionable. Trump ended his announcement of Addressing the nation from his Thursday’s strike with the modest Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the goal of ending “terrorism of all kinds president announced that he had and all types.” Good luck with that. authorised “a targeted military strike Meanwhile, the heart of the problem on the airfi eld in Syria from where the is that the United States seems always chemical attack was launched”. Trump to have only one solution to war: make was referring to a chemical weapons more war. attack on Tuesday that killed more None of this exonerates the than 80 people, including dozens of murderous, thuggish and brutal women and children, in the rebel- regime of Bashar al-Assad. The held town of Khan Sheikhun. The moral and strategic imperatives of chemical attack had in all likelihood our world today demand that the been carried out by the Syrian dictator Syrian civil war be brought to a swift Bashar al-Assad. and just conclusion. And we must But what will the US’s military recognise that the end of Syria’s strike – a barrage of at least 59 civil war will not be found through Tomahawk cruise missiles aimed at a military means but through careful lone airfi eld – really accomplish? deliberation between many different According to reports, the missiles parties. targeted only a single Syrian airfi eld But we are moving farther and not Syria’s air defences. In other away from those goals. At its best, words, the attack does not ground US President Donald Trump delivers a statement on Syria from the Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 6, 2017. Thursday’s reckless and largely Syria’s air force. Nor did the attack ineff ective bombing does little but strike any of the Russian aircraft also alerted the Syrians). The attack So why attack in the first place? What nonsense this is. Will Bashar we supposed to believe there is make US lawmakers feel good about currently bombing Syria. In fact, the does not signifi cantly degrade the Once again, we’re being told by al-Assad now cease his murderous any strategy to Trump’s actions themselves. At its worst, it deepens a Russians were alerted of the attack military capabilities of Bashar al- military officials that their actions actions because he’s just been anyway? Just last week, Nikki war which the US has no idea how to beforehand (who may, in turn, have Assad. are intended “to send a message.” delivered “a message”? How are Haley, Trump’s UN ambassador, end. – Guardian News & Media Pepsi, Nivea ads show diversity problem Weather report Three-day forecast industry, compared with 17.6% of the on lack of diversity or diversity of dominated discussion in class this TODAY AFP High: 34 C New York population. thought, while 25% said it refl ected week. Nearly half of respondents among an overzealous approach to attracting Jake Benifl ah, executive director Low : 27 C Inshore: Hazy to misty at places at advertising employees said the millennials and 13% blaming the fact of the Centre for Multicultural first with some clouds. ecent high-profi le advertising industry was “terrible” or “not that it was made by Pepsi’s in-house Science, thought the ad was a spoof missteps by Pepsi and great” at hiring diverse professionals, creative team and did not involve an when he fi rst saw it because of the skin-care company Nivea with another 25% describing it as outside fi rm. omnipresence of the product and in TUESDAY underscored anew Madison “mediocre,” according to a survey The spot follows Jenner as she its creation of “utopian” world where High: 37 C R Low: 25 C Avenue’s awkward relationship with released last September by the is stirred from a fashion shoot by every race is shown. racial diversity at a time when the American Association of Advertising a handsome Asian cellist to join “Perhaps they thought diversity on Sunny United States is becoming less white. Agencies. an unspecifi ed but peaceful street camera was enough, but obviously PepsiCo’s ill-fated “Moments” The trade group’s outgoing protest with people of all ethnicities, it wasn’t,” Benifl ah said. “In fact, it spot, featuring model Kendall Jenner, president Nancy Hill made publicly including African American street backfi red.” WEDNESDAY was quickly pulled with an apology calling out “racist and misogynistic dancers. For Judy Davis, a marketing High: 37 C after being vilifi ed for trivialising the behaviour” her New Years resolution The two-and-a-half minute short professor at Eastern Michigan Low: 25 C “Black Lives Matter” movement. for 2017. fi lm culminates with Jenner handing University, the controversy stirred Sunny Nivea also apologised and withdrew “I have realised given the current a Pepsi to a handsome grinning memories of Barbara Gardner Proctor, an ad for a deodorant after its “White climate in our country and our police offi cer, a move that draws wild one of the women she profi led in her is Purity” pitch was embraced by white industry, that doing that privately applause from the crowd, including book, “Pioneering African American Fishermen’s forecast supremacists. is tantamount to condoning the from a hijab-wearing photographer Women in the Advertising Business: OFFSHORE DOHA Social media had a fi eld day with the behaviour,” Hill said in a column on a who nods in agreement as she records Biographies of MAD Black WOMEN.” Wind: NE-SE 03-10/15 KT botched campaigns, which seemed to marketing industry website. the moment. Proctor was fi red in the 1960s from Waves: 1-3/4 Feet suggest scant progress from the white “Others involved need to know The spot spurred instant ridicule, a large fi rm when she refused to work INSHORE DOHA Wind: NE-SE 04-14 KT male bubble of the 1960s depicted in that this industry does not tolerate most witheringly from Bernice King, on a campaign that showed black Waves: 1-2 Feet the popular television series Mad Men. this kind of thinking and its resulting who posted a picture of her father, women clamouring in the street for a “Between Nivea’s ‘white is purity’ behaviour any longer.” Martin Luther King, being apprehended hair product. Around the region ad and Pepsi’s ‘Black soda matters’ Some major advertisers, such as at a civil rights march by police. The ad was a tasteless allusion to the Weather Weather ad, I think it’s time to open my ‘Ask Verizon, General Mills and Hewlett- “If only Daddy would have known civil rights movement, she said. today Max/min tomorrow Max/min a Black person’ consulting fi rm,” Packard have threatened to fi re fi rms about the power of #Pepsi,” King “It was the same kind of Abu Dhabi Sunny 36/25 Sunny 38/25 comedian Travon Free said on Twitter. that aren’t diverse enough. wrote on Twitter. trivialisation of a serious social Baghdad P Cloudy 27/14 M Cloudy 28/19 Dubai Sunny The demise of the Pepsi spot has Kelly O’Keefe, a professor of brand movement and taking that to promote Sunny 38/24 38/25 In fact, data shows a diversity defi cit Kuwait City P Cloudy 31/23 P Cloudy 31/23 in a sector that both refl ects and especially provoked intense discussion strategy at Virginia Commonwealth some brand,” Davis said. Manama M Sunny 36/24 M Sunny 35/25 moulds public sentiment. throughout the industry. University, said the spot was “You would think in 2017 things Muscat Sunny 34/26 Sunny 34/26 Only 4.1% of advertising industry The company is led by Indian-born shockingly heavyhanded in its would be diff erent. But here we are Riyadh M Sunny 39/25 Sunny 38/26 employees in the country are African chief executive Indra Nooyi, a vocal constant hawking of cola. seeing some of the same problems that Tehran Cloudy 22/11 M Sunny 23/14 Americans, well below their 13.3% of proponent of diversity. It refl ected a “cloistered view of the were present 50 years ago, and I think the overall population. A poll by PR Week showed 40% world and distorted view of diversity,” that’s pretty amazing.” Latinos account for 12.3% of the on respondents blamed the debacle he said, adding that the spot has Live issues Smoking causes one in ten deaths worldwide

QNA London

ne in 10 deaths around the world is caused by smoking, Around the world according to a major new Weather Weather study that shows the today Max/min tomorrow Max/min O Athens Sunny 21/09 P Cloudy 22/09 tobacco epidemic is far from over and that the threat to lives is spreading Beirut M Sunny 20/15 P Cloudy 23/21 Bangkok P Cloudy 34/28 M Sunny 35/28 across the globe. Berlin M Sunny 19/04 P Cloudy 11/05 There were nearly 1bn smokers Cairo P Cloudy 29/17 P Cloudy 31/19 in 2015, in spite of tobacco control Cape Town P Cloudy 19/16 Sunny 25/16 policies having been adopted by many Colombo S T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 32/26 Sunny 34/22 countries. Dhaka 35/24 Sunny Hong Kong S T Storms 26/24 S T Storms 26/21 That number is expected to rise as Istanbul Sunny 14/04 Sunny 17/06 the world’s population expands. Jakarta T Storms 32/25 S T Storms 32/25 One in every four men is a smoker Karachi Sunny 38/23 Sunny 41/24 and one in 20 women. London M Cloudy 14/05 M Sunny 16/06 Manila P Cloudy 36/26 M Sunny 36/25 Their lives are likely to be cut short Moscow Cloudy 11/05 P Cloudy 16/06 — smoking is the second biggest risk New Delhi Sunny 35/20 Sunny 38/22 factor for early death and disability New York M Sunny 23/11 P Cloudy 24/13 after high blood pressure, according to USA, and Russia. in 2005 ratifi ed by 180 countries the leading cause of many diseases, Paris M Cloudy 16/06 P Cloudy 16/04 Sao Paulo I T Storms S T Storms 29/19 the Guardian newspaper. Major eff orts to control tobacco recommends measures including as tobacco is the main factor in the 28/19 Seoul P Cloudy 21/08 P Cloudy 18/03 The researchers found there were have paid off , according to the study smoking bans in public places, high incidence of heart disease, stroke and Singapore T Storms 31/26 T Storms 31/26 6.4mn deaths attributed to smoking published by the Lancet medical taxes in cigarettes and curbs on chronic kidney disease, in addition Sydney Cloudy 19/14 Cloudy 22/14 in 2015, of which half were in just four journal. advertising and marketing. to the deterioration of many cases to Tokyo Clear 15/08 Cloudy 12/08 populous countries — China, India, A World Health Organisation treaty According to the study, smoking is have cancer. Gulf Times 28 Monday, April 10, 2017 QATAR City art buff s set for a rare encounter with Ai Weiwei eading contemporary Museum of Modern Art, and QM tion and Uli Sigg will touch on tistic appreciation and participa- Chinese artist Ai Weiwei Gallery Katara and meet with the importance of collectors and tion in Qatar.” Lis coming to Doha this senior QM representatives. museum donations. Ai Weiwei has a long and es- week to experience the coun- In addition, he will explore Ai Weiwei is also expected to tablished career as a contempo- try’s fl ourishing arts and culture many of the country’s most no- meet with young and aspiring rary artist. He resides and works scene, Qatar Museums (QM) an- table and recognisable public art artists during his stay, includ- in both Berlin and Beijing. nounced yesterday. projects, including the striking ing several residents at the Fire Ai studied animation at the “His visit is further evidence sculpture East-West / West-East Station: Artist in Residence Pro- Beijing Film Academy, then stud- of Qatar’s progress as a leading by Richard Serra, located near gramme. ied art in New York in the early creative and artistic hub that Zekreet. This will provide the ideal op- ’80s. Upon returning to China a attracts renowned artists from As part of his visit, tomorrow portunity for artists to discuss decade later, Ai advocated for ex- around the world,” QM said in a Ai Weiwei will be giving a public the creative process and explore perimental artists by publishing statement. talk, open for all to attend, in the diff erent techniques with a huge- underground books and curating “It also highlights Qatar Mu- auditorium at the MIA at 6pm, ly experienced and established avant-garde exhibitions. He has seums’ commitment to bringing alongside Swiss businessman, artistic fi gure. worked in many media, including established creative fi gures to the diplomat and art collector, Uli Khalid Yousef al-Ibrahim, sculpture, installation, photog- country to inspire future genera- Sigg. The talk will be moderated chief strategic planning Of- raphy, architecture and fi lm. tions of indigenous talent.” by art expert and curator Tom fi cer at Qatar Museums said: “Ai His work has featured in During his time in Qatar, Ai Eccles, executive director of the Weiwei’s visit furthers our aim leading galleries and museums Weiwei will visit several of Qa- Center for Curatorial Studies at Qatar Museums of bringing around the world including Tate tar’s most prominent and sig- and the Hessel Museum of Art international artists to Doha to Modern London, Haines Gallery nifi cant arts and culture destina- at Bard College. During the talk, inspire an indigenous culture of San Francisco, Lisson Gallery tions including the Museum of Ai Weiwei will discuss the trans- creativity and innovation, and Milan and National Gallery of Visiting Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has a long and established career as a contemporary artist. He resides Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab formation of his artistic produc- foster an existing culture of ar- Victoria, Melbourne. and works in both Berlin and Beijing. Jaidah Auto hosts technical seminar on Osram lamps

hevrolet cars’ exclusive cura Miroslav, CEO of Osram During the event, Ali Inter- dealer in Qatar, Jaidah Lighting ME; Gorgenc Melike, national Trading Establish- CAutomotive’s Inde- marketing manager of Osram ment, Flash Car Accessories pendent Aftermarket (IAM) Lighting ME, as well as 100 and Al Fajer Auto Spare Parts Wholesale Department, held a customers. Rao explained that were presented with apprecia- technical seminar on Osram au- Osram automotive lamps are tion awards for their continued tomotive lamps for customers. made in Germany and manufac- support to the brand. During the The seminar discussed prod- tured in state-of-the-art facili- event all customers were pre- uct updates on Osram automo- ties that function on high-tech sented with special promotions tive lamps, new introductions technology and equipment. on products. to the market, and shared tech- “We are proud to say that Vasan thanked the customers nical specifi cations and infor- Osram automotive lamps have and stressed that Osram Light- mation on performance as well a 60% market share in Qatar, ing would not have been able as effi ciency innovative lamps, which is the highest market to achieve the highest market which have a longer life and share in the region. During the share in the region without a high durability. The technical past 10 years we did not receive strong partner like Jaidah Auto- seminar comes as part of Jai- a single product complaint, motive on the ground in Qatar. dah Automotive’s IAM plan to which goes to show the qual- Appreciation awards to top off er a complete range of com- ity of the product and customer sales staff at Jaidah Automo- prehensive after-sales service trust in the brand.” tive IAM were also given at the to customers in Qatar. In or- Osram automotive lamps are event. Billy Mathew, sales con- der to create product aware- available for complete range of sultant, received an award for ness, wholesale, trade, retail vehicles, including passenger highest sales achievement, and The initiative offers the public the opportunity to go behind the scenes at “one of the country’s most innovative arts programmes for the and workshop customers were cars, SUVs, light trucks, heavy Antonio Fernandes, sales su- creative generation”. invited to attend the interac- duty trucks, and trailers. pervisor, received an award for tive seminar in an eff ort to of- Bagran thanked the custom- highest innovative lamps sales. Open studio event at QM Fire Station fer them technical information, ers for their ongoing support Miroslav provided a product product and packaging updates, to establish Osram automotive presentation about the newest Under the patronage of its visitors the chance to explore studio nights are a reoccurring a local approach to creativity and features and benefi ts about lamps in the market which indi- features, specifi cations manu- chairperson, HE Sheikha Al the Fire Station’s facilities and success thanks to the high levels artistic production for both local LEDs and innovative lamps. cates the strength of Jaidah Au- facturing facilities, as well as Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa studios, meet the 20 talented of interest and engagement Qatari artists and residents of The seminar was attended by tomotive’s partnership with the world-wide branches. He also al-Thani, Qatar Museums’ (QM) artists in residence, which received from the local Qatar”, the statement notes. K T Rao, manager of Automotive brand. “Osram Automotive has provided technical information Fire Station opened the doors of includes 10 Qataris, and talk community. During the nine-month residency, Wholesale; Zeki Bagran, general 110 years of history and herit- about various types of inno- its studios in Doha on Saturday to them about their works and The Doha Fire Station sits at artists across all disciplines manager of Jaidah Automotive age, which refl ects our vision of vative lamps and LED’s which evening. inspiration. the heart of Doha’s flourishing receive production support, IAM; Murali Vasan, sales direc- always providing the best qual- gives longer life and high dura- The initiative off ers the public Artists currently enrolled in art community, and the open mentorships and curatorial tor of Osram Lighting ME; Cin- ity brands to our customers.” bility. the opportunity to go behind the the programme have works evening allows for the public to advice, enabling them to scenes at “one of the country’s ranging from photography and meet and interact with artists of develop their artistic talent. most innovative arts programmes videography to graphic design, all disciplines and engage in a At the end of the cycle, artists’ for the creative generation”, QM painting and poetry. dialogue that I hope will inspire a accomplishments are celebrated has said in a press statement. This is the second open evening creative generation in Qatar.” in an end-of-residency exhibition The four-hour open evening, organised by Qatar Museums Qatar Museums’ Fire Station held at the Garage Gallery in the which was organised as part during this residency. Artist in Residence programme Fire Station, which showcases of the Fire Station: Artist in Khalifa al-Obaidli, director of runs in nine-month cycles and selected works from each of the Residence programme, gave the Fire Station, said: “Our open aims to create a space that “off ers artists.

Jaidah Automotive IAM and Osram off icials at the event.

NHRC attends workshop in Tunis

atar’s National Hu- ing and Research Centre for attended by Abdullah Ali al- man Rights Committee Human Rights and Democracy, Mahmoud, head of media and Q(NHRC) took part in a in co-operation with the Arab public relations unit at NHRC, workshop held in Tunis, under Institute for Human Rights, the reviewed various develop- the title “Facing social trans- workshop aimed at promoting ments in the Coalition of Arab formations – inclusive and a network of cities to exchange Cities against Racism, Dis- sustainable cities”. experiences and knowledge to crimination, Xenophobia and Organised by the United formulate policies against rac- Intolerance and its activities to Nations Educational, Scien- ism, discrimination, xenopho- confront the phenomena of in- tifi c and Cultural Organization bia and intolerance. tolerance, hatred and extrem- (Unesco), the European Train- The workshop, which was ism.