BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Aspire graduate al-Tamimi makes history CI affi rms Qatar’s with Malaysian foreign and local win currency ratings published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10888 July 23, 2018 Dhul-Qa’da 10, 1439 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Amir’s visit to take Qatar-UK In brief

QATAR | Reaction Qatar slams attack on relations to greater heights Pakistan election rally QNA Amir arrives in London The Qatari-British relations have Qatar has expressed its strong Doha a historical relevance that give them condemnation of an attack that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim weight and uniqueness, which is re- targeted an election rally in bin Hamad al-Thani arrived in London fl ected in all areas of co-operation. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in he current offi cial visit of His yesterday for a visit to the friendly two countries have signed a number of northwestern Pakistan killing one Highness the Amir Sheikh United Kingdom at the invitation bilateral agreements in various fi elds. person and injuring several others. In TTamim bin Hamad al-Thani to of Prime Minister Theresa May. His Qatar’s wise leadership is keen to a statement yesterday, the Ministry the United Kingdom is an extension Highness the Amir is accompanied by transform the country into a global hub of Foreign Aff airs reiterated Qatar’s of the historic friendship and alliance an offi cial delegation. for knowledge-based industries and firm stance in rejecting violence and between the two friendly countries. It innovation, as well as building a sus- terrorism regardless of the motives also comes in line with Qatar’s keen- tainable economy capable of achieving and causes, reaff irming full solidarity ness to strengthen and develop its rela- This visit will provide an opportunity high growth rates in the future. Qatar with the Pakistani government in all tions with various countries. to open wider horizons for mutual in- is also keen on expanding partnership the measures it takes to preserve Bilateral relations between Doha and vestments at both public and private sec- with UK in education, health, sports security and stability. It expressed London have grown steadily over the tor levels. The UK has been the preferred and security, areas where the United Qatar’s condolences to the family of years, from the early days of oil and gas destination for Qatari investments in Kingdom is a global leader. the victim as well as the government exploration in the Gulf region, where various fi elds, particularly real estate. In March last year, Qatar and the and people of Pakistan, wishing the British companies have played a key role His Highness the Amir met with United Kingdom held in London the injured a speedy recovery. Page 16 in the development of the oil and gas Prime Minister May in London dur- fourth meeting of Qatar-UK Strategic industry in Qatar and the region. These ing his offi cial visit to the UK on Sep- Dialogue (Sharaka), which is one of the relations have expanded to include bi- tember 15, 2016. He also met with most important mechanisms for the Bombing at Kabul lateral co-operation in all fi elds, espe- May last September on the sidelines development of bilateral relations be- airport condemned cially political, economic, commercial, of the 72nd session of the United Na- tween the two countries. Qatar expressed its strong defence, cultural and educational. tions General Assembly, where the two Having invested more than £40bn, condemnation of the bombing at Kabul The visit, which comes at the invi- sides discussed bilateral relations and Qatar is one of the most important in- airport which left a number of people tation of Prime Minister Theresa May, means of developing co-operation in vestors in the UK. Qatar is planning to killed and injured. In a statement will focus on strategic areas, which will various fi elds, and exchanged views invest £5bn more in the British econ- issued yesterday, the Ministry of strengthen the relations between the on various regional and international omy over the next few years through Foreign Aff airs reiterated Qatar’s two countries and realise common in- developments,especially the Gulf cri- investment funds and other Qatari en- firm stance in rejecting violence and terests. The two sides will also discuss sis and international eff orts in support tities. These investments will be con- terrorism regardless of the motives a number of regional and international of the Kuwait mediation to resolve the centrated in the energy, infrastructure, and causes, reaff irming full solidarity issues of common concern. crisis through dialogue. real estate and other sectors. To Page 5 His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with the Afghan government in all the measures it takes to preserve security and stability. PM visits Civil Aviation Authority REGION | Anniversary Oman celebrates 48th New radar device launched Renaissance Day today The Sultanate of Oman celebrates to catch speeding motorists today the 48th anniversary of the launch of its modern renaissance under the leadership of Sultan Qaboos QNA traffi c fl ow in both directions and can bin Said. July 23, 1970 represented the Doha operate in diff erent weather condi- beginning of a glorious era to build tions. a better life for the Omani citizens Using the control modules, patrol- who were able to contribute to he General Directorate of Traf- ling offi cials can feed the speed limit achieving the country’s development fi c has launched patrol vehicles onto the system for large and small ve- goals through the elements of the Tequipped with a modern radar hicles on any particular road. It is able renaissance. Page 6 device to monitor traffi c rule viola- to identify the street number and shoot tions. still pictures as well as videos. ARAB WORLD | Confl ict Aimed to cover roads from where Meanwhile, the General Directorate many complaints are received, the ra- of Traffi c is continuing with its aware- Jordan receives only 422 dar fi tted inside the vehicle can record ness campaign, ‘Accident-Free Sum- ‘White Helmets’ evacuees violations of speeding. mer’, which has now entered the third Jordan yesterday received 422 White The new device was launched on the week. Helmets rescue workers and their sidelines of the ‘Accident-Free Sum- At a press conference held at the family members evacuated from Syria, mer’ awareness campaign, which is Traffi c headquarters yesterday, the the foreign ministry in Amman said, currently under way. theme of the third week - “For your after earlier saying the kingdom had Capt Shabib Mohamed al-Nuaimi of safety, wear seatbelt” - was announced. given permission for 800 to arrive. the Traffi c Patrols explained that the The theme highlights the role of Foreign ministry spokesman Mohamed new radar can be fi tted into both civil- seatbelts in saving the lives of drivers al-Kayed said Britain, Germany ian and offi cial traffi c patrol vehicles. It and front-seat passengers. and Canada had initially agreed to has several modern technical features Head of the Traffi c Department accept around 827 rescuers and such as the ability to be operational (North), Lt Col Abdullah Mohamed al- their relatives, but eventually settled while on the move and adopt infrared Humaidi, said not wearing seatbelts is on a figure of 422 and they arrived HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani is being briefed on Qatar Civil Aviation imaging. It does not use the ‘annoying’ the most important cause for deaths yesterday morning. Page 6 Authority’s strategic plans during his visit to the QCAA yesterday. Page 5 fl ash lights, and is capable of fi lming and injuries on roads. To Page 5 Team Qatar Channel Swim makes history zSeven Qatari amateur the busiest waterway in the world since A message for the world and healthcare offi cial), Dr Nasser Saqr athletes dedicate 1875, known as the “Everest of open wa- al-Mohannadi (petroleum engineer achievement to His ter swimming”. Faced with the unjust blockade that and climate change expert), Fahad “It’s a great honour to be a part of a four Arab countries imposed on Qatar Mohamed al-Buenain (marketing and Highness the Amir team that made history today (Satur- in June 2017, the Team Qatar Channel corporate communications expert) and and the people of Qatar day). We worked hard for this over the Swim stressed that they wanted to send Talal Abdulaziz al-Emadi (legal expert) past few months, and today we reaped an important message to the world kicked off their attempt from Folke- By Joey Aguilar the result,” said the team founder, through their feat. stone near Dover on the English coast. Staff Reporter 52-year-old surgeon and healthcare of- “We wanted to show the world the real The swim covered around 48km and fi cial Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain Ali. strength of the Qatari people. When we lasted for 16 hours and 34 minutes on He noted that only a few swimmers face pressure, we fi ght hard to achieve relay basis to reach the French coast even Qatari amateur athletes in the world decide to take up this gru- our goals,” Dr Mohamed Jaham al- near Wissant, a seaside commune be- successfully crossed the English elling challenge every year. Kuwari, a member of the team, said. tween Calais and Boulogne. SChannel on Saturday, marking “All the team members gave their “I have been through some diffi cult a historic feat that the team has dedi- best and faced very diffi cult swimming challenges before, which included scal- cated to His Highness the Amir Sheikh conditions, but when we saw Qatar’s hamed Jaham al-Kuwari (surgeon and ing some of the world’s highest moun- Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and the fl ag being raised at the fi nish point, we head of Qatar Cycling and Triathlon tains with my friend al-Buenain, but the people of Qatar. knew it was all worthy,” stressed Dr Ali, Federation), Dr Jamal Rashid al-Khanji Channel swim was completely diff er- Team Qatar Channel Swim now be- the oldest member of the team. (entrepreneur and former surgeon), Dr ent,” al-Emadi said. “It was extremely comes the 767th relay team to conquer Dr Ali and his teammates Dr Mo- Khalid Mohamed al-Jalham (surgeon challenging.” To Page 20 The team aboard the boat Rowena after the finish. Gulf Times 2 Monday, July 23, 2018 QATAR 50 Ooredoo 5G network towers go live oredoo has announced that the fi rst commercial O5G network in the world has now reached 50 sites in Qa- tar. Since Ooredoo announced it was the fi rst operator in the world to launch a 5G network commercially in May, the com- Ooredoo Myanmar off icials and staff mark the occasion. pany has invested heavily in rolling out the next-generation technology to ensure that Qatar is at the forefront of 5G develop- ments and the 5G ecosystem. Thanks to this latest mile- Fastest mobile network 4G speeds stone, some of Qatar’s most populated areas in Doha are now Ooredoo Qatar CEO Waleed higher speeds and capacity, and 5G-enabled, which means a al-Sayed said, “As the count- extreme low latency, the com- “huge number of Ooredoo cus- down to 2022 has begun, we need pany adds. in Myanmar available on Ooredoo tomers and businesses will be to ensure that Qatar is ready Ooredoo 5G will enable new able to instantly access the 5G ahead of time, in all sectors. As types of applications like driv- network when devices become a proud Qatari company, we are erless cars and smart roads, the oredoo Myanmar of- yesterday. The average speeds or data experience, which helps townships in Myanmar. available”, the company has said preparing our network now so connection of millions of low- fers the fastest network were 38.23Mbps for downloads them to enjoy the Internet even As part of a major network and in a statement. that it can seamlessly serve our powered connected devices, Ospeeds available in My- and 20.65Mbps for uploads. more every day.” infrastructure project set to off er As well as investing in the 5G country and people, and the Augmented Reality and more. anmar, according to Ookla, a Ooredoo Myanmar CEO the widest and fastest 4G plus rollout, Ooredoo has said it is thousands of expected visitors. Due to worldwide manufac- global leader in fi xed broadband Vikram Sinha said, “Our invest- “Our goal is to help network in the country, it will thoroughly testing a batch of the “5G will enable our customers turing limitations, Ooredoo’s and mobile network testing ap- ments in the network continue enrich the digital lives of expand its 4G Plus network to fi rst-ever live 5G home broad- to download movies in seconds, 5G Supernet network is not yet plications, data and analysis. to help us to make the fastest Myanmar’s people, bringing 300 townships by October 2018. band devices. stream VR gaming experiences accessible by smartphones; Between January and June this available speeds a daily real- them innovative products Currently, more than 16mn The 25 devices in Qatar are be- like never before and open up a however, the company has said year, Speedtest users initiated ity for people in Myanmar. This with relevant, shareable people are able to access Myan- ing tested on Ooredoo’s 5G net- world of smart technology. We’re it is working to rapidly roll out 149,413 tests on 4G-avaliable achievement validates our ef- content, and a superior data mar’s fastest and widest 4G net- work to ensure the performance working tirelessly to reach the its state-of-the-art network so devices across Myanmar. Ookla forts to deliver the best possible experience, which helps work and is continuously grow- is seamless in various use-cases 100 5G sites milestone, and are that consumers and businesses conducts rigorous analysis on experience for our customers. them to enjoy the internet ing as people clamour for faster before being made available to pushing the 5G home broadband across Qatar can instantly bene- the consumer-initiated tests and “We’re always working to be even more every day” mobile network speed. customers. device to its limit to make sure it’s fi t as soon as compatible devices Ooredoo users provided results at the cutting edge of both tech- As a testament to its eff orts, So far, the company has an- 5G-ready and Qatar-worthy.” are made available. in 282 localities. nology and innovation, focusing Ooredoo Myanmar was the fi rst Ooredoo Myanmar received in nounced the new 5G home Ooredoo’s 5G network rollout Ooredoo welcomes device Ooredoo achieved the high- on improving our customers’ operator to launch 4G services in July the ‘Most Innovative Net- broadband devices will work will have a “hugely positive im- manufacturers and developers est average download speeds of satisfaction. Our goal is to help the country and has continued to work Transformation Initiative’ on both the Ooredoo 4G and 5G pact on many business sectors of 5G use cases to Qatar so that tests taken on 4G-available de- enrich the digital lives of Myan- upgrade network sites across the award in the 21st Telecom Asia network and can achieve speeds and organisations in Qatar”, the arrangements can be made for vices among all the top mobile mar’s people, bringing them in- country to boost speed. In June, it Awards 2018 for its initiatives of up to 2Gbps, 20 times the statement notes. Most notice- them to test against the world’s network operators in Myanmar, novative products with relevant, announced the successful roll-out on the improvement of network speeds of Ooredoo’s 100Mbps ably, 5G serves as the next step in fi rst, deployed, commercial 5G the company said in a statement shareable content, and a superi- of its 4G Plus network across 244 coverage and speed. fi bre. network evolution as it has much network.

Zakat Fund gives CRA conducts audit QR4.6mn aid to Roadmap ready for Qatar-France of mobile network treat patients he total aid provided by Year of Culture, says ambassador coverage and quality the Zakat Fund of the TMinistry of Endowments and Islamic Aff airs to treat some By Joseph Varghese fulfi lling time” in the country. he Communications Reg- needy patients reached about Staff Reporter “I spent four beautiful years ulatory Authority (CRA) QR4.6mn during the fi rst half of in Doha. My wife and daughter Thas completed an exten- this year. have great memories of their sive audit of mobile networks to The Fund said in a press re- bout a dozen major stay in Qatar. My older son is benchmark the coverage of 2G, collected from diff erent roads lease that the fi nancial aid was French cultural organi- studying in Paris. Qatar is a safe, 3G and 4G networks in Qatar of the country, including fre- provided to 224 patients who Asations will present pro- peaceful, warm and welcom- and the Quality of Service (QoS) quently accessed off -road routes were eligible for Zakat, in co-op- grammes in Qatar showcasing ing county. We have a vibrant levels off ered by Ooredoo and popularly used for fi shing and eration with a number of medi- French culture as part of the Qa- French community of more Vodafone Qatar. camping seasons. cal institutions in Qatar, headed tar-France 2020 Year of Culture, than 5,000 (people). I could also The audit, conducted from To complete the audit, the by HMC, its affi liated hospitals the French ambassador has said. engage in my favourite sports May to December 2017, bench- authority used “state-of-the- and associations for patients. “We have developed a roadmap such as football, swimming and marked some Key Performance art” measurement tools with The statement added that this and many leading French cultural cycling. It was a great time. My Indicators (KPIs) of services the latest post-processing soft- aid includes payment of the full organisations are eager to be a daughter Sollen lived here for such as voice calls, short mes- ware, devices and smartphones cost of treatment, depending on part of it. The roadmap is ready four years and she loved to be in sage service and data service of- installed on dedicated monitor- the patient’s health, need and and it is not just for 2020 but even Qatar,” recalled the envoy. fered by the service providers. ing vehicles that are centrally eligibility for assistance. beyond it with a clear idea of fur- Chevallier was also all praise The audit results indicate monitored and controlled from The Fund pointed out that the ther developing relations between for the Qatari leadership and its improvement from audits con- the CRA’s Network Monitoring aid is disbursed depending upon the two countries,” Eric Chevallier people. “The country is chang- ducted by the CRA in previous Centre. the patient’s status on the basis told Gulf Times. ing rapidly. It will be amazing to years for both service providers, The CRA has stressed that of an offi cial medical report from The French envoy also re- see how it will be in 2022 and in the authority has said in a state- it will continue to monitor the the health institution, including vealed that the partnership be- 2030. The will of the leadership ment. network performance of both the diagnosis of the disease and tween HEC Paris in Qatar and and the people to maintain the The CRA’s fi ndings are sum- service providers on a regular the cost of the treatment. The Qatar Foundation has been re- links with the past, the roots marised based on large sample basis in the coming years, and Social Research Division of the newed for another fi ve years. French ambassador Eric Chevallier and traditions, is truly admira- sizes for each KPI. The sum- is currently in the process of es- Fund assesses the eligibility of “As of now, about 12 major ble. The rapid evolution of the mary of the 2017 network audit tablishing a robust QoS Frame- the patient. cultural organisations from However, the framework has hosting the 2024 Summer Ol- country as well as holding on to fi nding can be found on the CRA work that will ensure that the France will be part of 2020, been set up,” he explained. ympics, and the co-operation the roots is a remarkable feature website. services provided to consumers Speaker returns presenting performances and According to Chevallier, can be across several fi elds. of this country,” he highlighted. The network audit was con- in Qatar are among the best in to Doha exhibitions. there will be further co-opera- Also, as France hosted Uefa The envoy also felt that build- ducted during busy hours on the world. There are diff erent things for tion between Qatar and France Euro 2016, we have many les- ing relations is one of the most working days and assessed the The framework will include HE the Speaker of the Advisory the 2020 Year of Culture and we in sports. sons and a lot of experience important roles of an ambas- quality of coverage of both serv- certain KPIs to ensure the provi- Council Ahmed bin Abdullah have worked a lot with the Min- This could be in diff erent ar- that we can share with Qatar. sador. “I am happy that I could ice providers in diff erent areas, sion of high-quality and reliable bin Zaid al-Mahmoud and his istry of Culture and Sports, Qatar eas such as ticketing, security, We have already started work- manage to build very friendly on streets and highways, in ma- telecommunications services to accompanying delegation Museums as well as institutions IT and more. ing in several areas,” noted the relations that will last for a long jor pedestrian areas and several the people of Qatar and that the returned to Doha yesterday after such as Qatar National Library, “We will have more collabo- ambassador. time. The role of an ambassador indoor locations, the CRA ex- service providers are in compli- participating in the Arab Inter- Katara and others. The names of ration in the fi eld of sports. Qa- Chevallier, who is about to is to build bridges, form rela- plained. ance with the regulatory frame- Parliamentary Union meeting in the participating organisations tar is the host of the 2022 FIFA leave Qatar after completing tions and work together with Samples of coverage were also work. Cairo. will be announced in due course. World Cup and Paris will be his term, said he has had a “very everyone,” he added. HMC cautions public about dangers of prolonged sun exposure

amad Medical Corpora- justs the temperature inside emergency and requires urgent haustion does not always lead to temperature by removing any water-content foods, wear- tion (HMC) has remind- your home, the nervous system treatment. heatstroke, it is a warning sign heavy clothing and applying a ing lightweight, light-coloured, Hed the public to protect regulates your body’s tempera- Left untreated, heatstroke can and it is important to be vigilant cold compress, and to rehydrate loose, clothing, sunglasses, a themselves and their families, ture. quickly damage the brain, heart, for symptoms. by replenishing water the body wide-brimmed hat and sun- especially young children and When your body loses its abil- kidneys and muscles and lead However, he notes that expo- has lost due to excessive sweat- screen. the elderly, from heat-related ity to self-regulate temperature, to serious long-term complica- sure to the sun can have many ing,” said Dr Younis. He also recommends that illnesses caused by high temper- you risk developing a heat ill- tions and even death. benefi ts, including boosting the He also warns about the dan- individuals who have a pre- ature and high humidity. ness,” said Dr Younis. Headaches, stomach cramps body’s vitamin D supply and im- gers of sunburn, noting that existing medical condition ask Dr Mahmoud Younis, as- The elderly, people taking and nausea can indicate dehy- proving bone health. while the redness, pain and their doctor for advice on how to sistant director of Health medications that increase their dration and are often the fi rst “Avoid going out between swelling are all signs of infl am- manage the heat. Promotion and Community sensitivity to sunlight, and in- signs of a heat illness. 10am and 3pm when the sun is mation and can be very uncom- Dr Younis says anyone who Engagement with HMC’s Ha- dividuals who are exercising or Other common symptoms usually at its hottest. fortable, severe sunburns can is experiencing signs and mad International Training doing physical activity outdoors include muscle pain, fatigue, Heat-related illness can have serious long-term health symptoms of a heat-related Centre, says the central nerv- for long periods of time, are the nervousness, flushing or red- progress rapidly, so any indi- complications. illness should seek medical ous system, specifically the most susceptible to developing a ness of the skin, shortness of vidual who is showing signs of a Dr Younis recommends being attention, and those who are hypothalamus, is responsible heat-related illness. breath, increased heartbeat heat-related illness should im- prepared. He says to plan ahead experiencing signs of heat- for regulating temperature in Dr Younis explains that the and difficulty in concentrat- mediately get out of the sun and by drinking plenty of fl uids, es- stroke should get urgent medi- the body. most serious form of heat ill- ing. into a shaded area. pecially water, eating fresh fruits cal care, or call 999 for HMC’s “Just as a thermostat ad- ness, heatstroke, is a medical Dr Younis says while heat ex- Dr Mahmoud Younis It is essential to lower the body and vegetables and other high Ambulance Service. Gulf Times Monday, July 23, 2018 3 QATAR DIFI and QNRF Canadian fi rm looks to award grants for research proposals help address Qatar’s oha International Fam- The cycle also supported ily Institute (DIFI) research on parenting styles Dand Qatar National and practices; parenting and Research Fund (QNRF), both child well-being; father in- members of Qatar Founda- volvement; motherhood; tion (QF), have awarded grants fatherhood; delayed parent- to three research proposals hood; transition to parent- food security needs that address emerging issues hood; responsible parenting; aff ecting the well-being of and family-related social By Peter Alagos the current issues here but at the Arab family, under their policies. Business Reporter the same time also expand our jointly funded OSRA grant The call for proposals, own economic development in programme. launched in December 2017, Canada.” The awarded proposals generated interest from lo- Canadian fi rm is looking Aside from food security, came from Doha Institute cal, regional, and interna- to establish factories and White Rock plans to bring in for Graduate Studies, Qa- tional academic research Amanufacturing facili- projects related to oil and gas, tar University and Birzeit institutions, with 18 pro- ties in Qatar that will help boost immigration consulting, mining, University in Palestine, and posals being submitted and the country’s eff orts towards forestry and wood products, and are the most recent projects subsequently undergoing a achieving self-suffi ciency and hydrogenated water technology to be supported through highly-competitive review food security. system, which infuses hydrogen OSRA, which means ‘fam- process. White Rock International, in water for health benefi ts. ily’ in Arabic and is designed Noor al-Malki al-Jehani, which has a communication “Because of the advancements to encourage research which executive director of DIFI, and management consulting in Canada’s oil and gas industry, can be used to develop a said: “Through this unique offi ce in Qatar, aims to bring in we also want to bring new inno- knowledge base on the Arab grant, we are enabling re- viable economic development vative technologies to upgrade family. search on Arab families and projects in the fi elds of agricul- bitumen and heavy oil. We have The grant, which is in its creating an environment ture and vertical farming, aqua- the technology that currently third cycle, aims to encour- where the combined thrust of culture and land-based salmon, does not exist anywhere else in age research that contrib- research theories and practice and seafood products and seal the world except in Canada,” utes to the development of will off er us a fi rst-hand look oil protein, including a host of said Power, who is set to meet evidence-based policies and into some of the pressing fam- confectionery items. with major players in Qatar’s oil programmes on family cohe- ily issues we see in the region “The impact of these projects and gas sector. sion, families at risk, and par- today, in turn helping us to is twofold because they are He also recently held a meet- enthood; and to compile and come up with more realistic strong for Qatar’s economy as ing with the Canadian embassy unify the work of research- solutions.” well as Canada’s economy as it in Doha to discuss plans to bring ers studying and addressing Dr Abdul Sattar al-Taie, increases our output in manu- Canadian government offi cials challenges currently fac- executive director of QNRF, facturing,” White Rock Interna- and business delegations to Qa- ing Arab families across the added: “QNRF’s collabora- tional president Douglas Power tar in the future. region. tion with DIFI continues to told Gulf Times in an interview. From left: Douglas Power, counsellor (commercial) and senior trade commissioner John Rodney of the “Our offi ce in Qatar is work- Specifi c research priority build on the success of the “And the secondary process- Canadian embassy in Doha and White Rock International managing director Fawaz Hadi after a meeting ing to organise and facilitate areas under the third cycle of previous cycles of OSRA. ing area is bringing in the raw in Doha. PICTURE: Ram Chand bringing in delegations from OSRA included family rela- The outcomes of the past material because one of the fo- the Canadian province of New- tionships; patterns of mar- and present research projects cuses here is the ‘Made in Qatar’ vertical farming that utilises not needs to be in cubes, so we have Canada, and other products such foundland and Labrador: our riage formation; marriage supported by this fund- trademark, so we want to bring just hydroponics but also special a cubing and stacking system as beef, grain and various raw government offi cials and repre- and immigration; social and ing initiative have enabled, in factories to Qatar in some LED lights and special cubes that that’s more effi cient than any- materials so that they could do sentatives vis-à-vis our premier individual risk factors associ- and will continue to enable, key areas that have to do with allow farmers to grow specifi c thing else that’s out in the market secondary processing here. and cabinet ministers who can ated with divorce; and parent- policymakers at DIFI to bet- food security. The projects and brands or types of vegetables. now,” Power explained. “Instead of the traditional address and focus on the areas child relationships within ter understand and address the technology in aquaculture “Because every vegetable He added, “These are the fo- import of singular products, that are requested in Qatar. We Arab families in the context the growing challenges fac- would be 100% land-based,” he has its own requirements for its cus areas but we’re also looking we want to increase the eco- also aim to accomplish this in of wars and confl icts, poverty ing families in the Arab world added. growth, so trying to grow eve- to bring in food items into Qatar nomic development in Qatar, so conjunction with our trading and economic stress, disabili- and initiate an in-depth dis- Power said White Rock is also rything under one roof is not such as premium cod fi sh from these are all viable and sustain- company in Canada, Atlantic ties, domestic violence and cussion on pressing issues aiming to bring technology in suffi cient to the plant biology; it Fogo Island in Newfoundland, able projects that can address Trading Corporation,” he said. internal displacement. related to Arab families.” Qatar Airways and hotel group launch social media competition

atar Airways and Myconian Collec- Qtion Hotels & Re- sorts are off ering a chance to win two economy class round-trip tickets to Mykonos, Greece, as well as a luxurious three-night stay at Myconian Collec- tion Hotels & Resorts. The off er comes in cel- ebration of Qatar Airways’ recent launch of direct sea- sonal service to the popular Greek island of Mykonos, the Doha-based carrier has said in a statement. Qatar Airways com- menced direct seasonal service to Mykonos on May 30, making it the third Greek destination on its rapidly expanding network. Mykonos, an ideal destina- tion for holidaymakers, is renowned for its breath- taking natural beauty and vibrant atmosphere. My- conian Collection Hotels & Resorts is a family-owned group of nine luxury ho- tels, off ering visitors to Mykonos a refi ned level of hospitality. The off er comes in celebration of Qatar Airways’ recent launch of direct seasonal service to To enter, participants the popular Greek island of Mykonos. need to upload their fa- vourite picture of Mykonos two people at the Myconian operates four weekly sea- ‘World’s Best Business Class until August 2 on Instagram Collection Hotels & Resorts, sonal fl ights to Mykonos Seat’ and ‘World’s Best First or Facebook and tag @qa- where they may immerse International Airport until Class Airline Lounge’. tarairways and @myconi- themselves in “magnifi cent October 14, with an Airbus Qatar Airways currently ancollectionhotels, with Aegean views, sandy beach- A320, featuring 12 seats in operates a fl eet of more than the hashtags #Mykonos- es with crystal clear waters, Business Class and 132 seats 200 aircraft via its home and Together and #Myconian- superb spas and fi ve-star in Economy. hub, Hamad International Collection. The winner will gourmet restaurants”, the The airline received a Airport, to more than 150 receive two Economy Class statement notes. record number of accolades destinations worldwide. round-trip tickets from the Residents of countries recently, including ‘World’s Earlier this year, the airline winner’s nearest Qatar Air- eligible to participate in this Best Business Class’ by the revealed a host of forth- ways gateway to Mykonos, global promotion include 2018 Skytrax World Airline coming global destinations to be used in September. Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Awards. The national car- in line with its expedited In addition to the round- Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, rier of Qatar also won a raft expansion plans, including trip tickets, the winner will Australia, India, Sri Lanka, of other major awards at the Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, receive a three-night ac- China and Malaysia. ceremony, including ‘Best Malta; Langkawi, Malaysia commodation package for Qatar Airways currently Airline in the Middle East’, and Da Nang, Vietnam. MEC announces recall of Ford F-150 model of 2018 The Ministry of Economy In a statement yesterday, dealer to follow up on the commercial fraud and Commerce (MCEC), in the MEC said the recall maintenance and repair department, which collaboration with Almana campaign came within the works and communicate processes complaints, Motors Co, the Ford dealer framework of its ongoing with customers to ensure inquiries and suggestions, in Qatar, has announced eff orts to protect consumers that the necessary repairs through the call centre: a recall of the Ford F-150 and ensure that car dealers are carried out. 16001, e-mail: [email protected]. model of 2018 because the followed up on vehicle The MEC has urged all qa, Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, high-pressure fuel pump defects and repairs. customers to report Instagram: MEC_Qatar and flange weld may crack and The ministry has said it violations to its consumer the ministry’s mobile app for result in a fuel leak. will co-ordinate with the protection and anti- Android and iOS: MEC_Qatar Gulf Times 4 Monday, July 23, 2018 QATAR Over 35 tonnes of dates sold he ongoing third local dates dates. It also introduces them festival continues to attract to the various types of dates and Tbig crowds and register im- how to plant and grow palm trees. pressive sales since its launch at The activities tent is being Souq Waqif last Thursday. hosted for the fi rst time in this In a statement yesterday, the edition of the festival. It mainly Ministry of Municipality and aims to introduce visitors to the Environment (MME) said a to- importance of palm trees and tal of 35.32 tonnes of dates were the best methods of growing sold on the fi rst three days of the and maintaining them. The par- event, with some 15,500 people ticipating children are given gifts visiting the festival in three days. and certifi cates of appreciation The date varieties sold includ- to encourage them to take part in ed 19,862kg of Khalas, 6,336kg of such events. Shishi, 5,104kg of Barhi, 2,582kg Further, the MME’s agriculture of Khanizi dates and others. research department will present The festival continues until a lecture on how to dry dates with August 4 and is open to the pub- a focus on all the relevant stages. lic daily from 4pm until 10pm. Also, a workshop will be held The activities tent at the fes- on traditional palm fronds hand- tival has seen a great turnout of icrafts as well as other related visitors, especially families and cultural events to enhance public children, since the launch. The awareness. tent off ers children various ac- A total of 73 local farms are tivities such as competitions, participating in this edition of quizzes and awareness and edu- the festival, an increase of 13 cational lectures on the value of compared to last year. Dates on display at the local dates festival in Souq Waqif. Children engaged in activities. Kahramaa completes electricity networks for livestock complexes

By Ramesh Mathew on receiving applications from Staff Reporter the customers. Nasrullah said there would be an adjustment in the fees collected he Qatar General Electricity from customers, which were re- & Water Corporation (Kah- ceived earlier as ‘recreational fees’. Tramaa) has completed the Now, these would be treated as work of installing electricity net- ‘commercial fees’. works to provide connections to Abdulla Faraj Mubarak Nasrullah and Farhoud Hadi al-Hajri at the meeting The director of the MME’s Animal six major livestock farm complexes yesterday with other off icials. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam Resources Department, Farhoud spread across Qatar. Hadi al-Hajri, said the farms would The six livestock complexes are vironment (MME)’s Animal Re- their operational costs once their play an important role in helping in Al Khor, Abu Nakhla, Al Khrai- sources Department said the newly plots are connected to the newly laid Qatar achieve its self-suffi ciency rb, Al Sheehaniya, Al Wakrah and laid electricity networks will bring networks. and food security goals. Al Simsimah. considerable improvement in the The connections involved the The offi cial also informed that Now, the corporation has said functioning of livestock com- installation of primary and sec- the number of livestock heads in the it will start receiving applications plexes, where approximately 5,087 ondary stations to supply the com- country is about 1.6mn, of which from customers for connecting consumers stand to benefi t. plexes with the necessary electri- 350,000 are revenue-generating their areas in the farm complex- Kahramaa’s assistant director for cal voltage, taking into account the animals – with sheep accounting es to the service networks from Customer Services, Abdulla Faraj distribution of stations. for two-thirds of these. August 8. Mubarak Nasrullah, said the elec- The Kahramaa offi cial said the Further, al-Hajri said the minis- While informing this yester- tricity networks – completed at a entire process of providing connec- try would play its monitoring role at day, offi cials of Kahramaa and the cost of nearly QR250mn – would tion to the farm complexes would the farms and also seek the further Ministry of Municipality and En- help owners of the plots reduce be completed within three months development of the livestock sector.

UDC fi nalises construction of connecting bridge nited Development tial projects in Qatar with- Company (UDC), a in deadline by the fourth Uleading Qatari share- quarter of 2019,” UDC said. Al Mutahidah Towers’ connecting bridge works at The Pearl-Qatar. holding company and master Al Mutahidah Towers con- developer of The Pearl-Qa- sist of high-end connected tar, has announced that it has towers off ering accommoda- marked another milestone in tion units of various dimen- the development of Al Muta- sions, including studios and hidah Towers with the con- luxury apartments, as well as struction of the residential high-level penthouses. The towers’ connecting bridge. towers also boast of panoramic In a statement, UDC said sea-views and direct access to the connecting bridge is the the beach, the statement notes. most complicated structure Comprising 480 apart- of the project and also a ments in the relaxed beach- unique feature among tow- front precinct of Viva ers at The Pearl-Qatar. Bahriya at The Pearl-Qatar, The construction of the the project has “attracted bridge involved scaff olding strong interest from visi- over 12 fl oors at a height of tors and investors at City- 60m, in addition to mas- scape Qatar 2018 with three sive steel reinforcements as sale phases successfully well as concrete slabs and achieved in record time”, beams spanning an area of UDC has said. 600sqm, which will join UDC had laid the corner- the two towers from the stone for the construction of 12th till the 24th fl oor. Al Mutahidah Towers back in “This major achievement February 2017 with Leighton refl ects UDC’s commit- Contracting carrying out ment to completing one of construction works of the the most attractive residen- project’s buildings. Gulf Times Monday, July 23, 2018 5 QATAR Amir’s visit to take Qatar-UK ties to new heights ‘New excavations From Page 1 the opportunities available in also values Qatar’s investments The new partnership agree- Birmingham. Qatar is one of in the UK. ment signed in 2010 is a mile- Bilateral relations were made the main partners of UK in the The UK seeks to invest stone in Qatari-UK relations, stronger in March 2017 when energy sector, where it provides more in the 2022 FIFA World under which it was agreed that the Qatar-UK Business and nearly 30% of Britain’s natu- Cup projects, especially in the two countries would inten- help understand Investment Forum was held in ral gas needs. The UK is also stadium security and cyber sify their high-level dialogues London and Birmingham. The ranked the sixth largest trading security. Qatar is the largest by initiating regular ministe- forum confi rmed the strength partner of Qatar. market for UK exports in the rial-level consultations on re- of the Qatari fi nancial and There are more than 79 UK Middle East and North Africa gional issues. banking sectors and gave UK companies operating in Qatar in region. UK’s exports to Qa- In addition, they are both companies the chance to know the fi eld of oil, gas, infrastruc- tar in 2016 reached £2.38bn, committed to international de- Qatari history’ about available investment op- ture and information technol- up 21.7% compared to 2014. velopment which is strength- portunities in diff erent sectors ogy with a capital of QR8.1bn. Qatar’s exports to the UK in ened through intensifi ed dia- QNA excavated under Qatari waters Before a project is initiated in Qatar. There are 672 Qatari-UK joint 2015 amounted to £2.57bn, up logues between the ministers Doha in order to learn about the his- QM is contacted to study the Birmingham was chosen as companies operating in Qatar 20.4% compared to 2014. concerned with promoting the tory of the Qatar peninsula, the means of maintaining historical a location for the forum as it is in the fi elds of engineering con- From a cultural and edu- relations in education, sports human’s relation with water and sites in order to implement the the second largest city in the sultancy, contracting, infor- cational aspect, UK remains and culture. atar Museums (QM) Ar- the nature of water. project, he added. UK with a population of more mation technology, trade and one of the main destinations The historic partnership chaeology Department He said that 18,000 years ago On the eff orts of QM in intro- than 5mn residents. It also of- services. for Qatari students and their agreement also launched a new QDirector Faisal al-Naimi the peninsula did not exist. ducing the discovered archaeo- fers promising investments and UK believes in Qatar’s stra- number is increasing day by phase of the strategic relations said QM’s new and continuous As a result of global warming, logical sites, the Archeology the city is expected to be linked tegic and economic importance day. In 2014-2015, the number between Qatar and UK on for- archaeologist fi nds aim to learn he noted, the water level rose and Department director said the with London through a fast and is keen to take full advan- of Qatari students who went to eign policy, security and mili- about Qatar’s old geography and the gulf was formed, with the map museum has plans for sites and railway network. tage of investment opportuni- UK for higher studies increased tary co-operation in the Gulf help in understanding Qatar’s of Qatar emerging as a result. permanent activities to identify The forum attracted major ties in various sectors through by 20.4%. The number of Qa- region, and affi rmed their com- history. According to specialised stud- archaeological sites, especially investments from the Qatari free and fair trade which ben- tari students in the UK has dou- mitment to resolving global Speaking to Qatar News Agen- ies, the water level has risen Zubarah site, which is registered side that wanted to benefi t from efi ts both countries. The UK bled since 2010. disputes peacefully. cy, al-Naimi said QM’s explora- again throughout history, creat- on Unesco World Heritage List, tion eff orts will continue after ing fossilised beaches of Qatar, where educational activities are the summer using specialised which provides an idea of the old held during the winter season. scientifi c teams from inside and climate, land’s nature and the He added that activities for the outside Qatar in order to explore formation of Qatar’s map. past year have included special- well-known archaeological sites Al-Naimi said not all excava- ised educational workshops in PM briefed on strategic in the country. tion results have been fully an- Qatar on how to produce the pur- QM is currently preparing for nounced as some of the pieces ple dye of sea snails, where the new seasons so as to agree on sci- discovered are in European labo- industry of purple dye is known plans for civil aviation entifi c research points, he added, ratories to thoroughly determine in Ben Ghannam island dating noting that it is in contact with their history. back to more than 3,500 years. competent scientifi c entities for With regards to correspond- He said that it is located on the QNA planation about the eff orts launching new research projects. ing the continuous excavations east coast of Qatar in a protected Doha exerted by the Civil Aviation Al-Naimi said that one of the in Qatar with the urban develop- location in Khor Al Shaqiq, not- Authority to provide a safe, most important sites for explo- ment taking place and the role ing that the workshops have effi cient and fl exible fl ight ration is Umm Al-Ma’ Al-Yagh- of the Archaeology Department, been very popular because they E the Prime Minister system, develop contingency bi, which is close to Murwab area al-Naimi said this is currently have a direct relationship to Qa- and Interior Minister plans and seek further growth An off icial explaining the new radar device. and dates back to the Abbasid taking place. tari history. HSheikh Abdullah bin and development in the avia- period. He referred to Hamad Port as He stressed that QM seeks not Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani tion industry in Qatar. The area is not coastal and has an example as it extends over a only to preserve monuments but visited yesterday Qatar Civil The prime minister stressed some 200 housing units, con- 15km-long area close to Umm Al also to educate about the Qatari Aviation Authority (QCAA). the important role of the Civ- structed in groups, a palatial Houl historical site which was history. During the visit, the prime il Aviation Authority in air New radar device launched residence, workshops and two maintained despite the major minister was briefed on QCAA transport and the security and mosques. economic project. strategic plans for the civil avi- safety of civil aviation. From Page 1 Excavations have also revealed Another example he used Indian Open House ation sector in the State to serve The prime minister was ac- a group of tombs scattered is Jazirat Bin Ghannam which the objectives and aspirations companied during the visit by He stressed the importance of all media outlets and social net- around the groups of houses. was specially highlighted by the The Indian embassy has of Qatar National Vision 2030, HE the Minister of Transport working sites in raising awareness about the importance of wear- Excavations are being carried Danish excavation mission fol- announced that the charge keep pace with the level of and Communications Jas- ing seatbelts while driving. Seatbelts reduce the risk of death and out in these areas, as well as fur- lowed by the French, then the d’affaires of India will hold an growth witnessed by all sectors sim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, HE serious injury in case of accidents. ther excavations in the historic British in co-operation with QM Open House on Thursday, July of the national economy, and Chairman of the Civil Aviation He said the General Directorate of Traffi c is working to save the area of Fuwayrat, located in the team in 2000. 26, at the embassy premises secure the needs of the coming Authority Abdullah bin Nasser lives of people by reducing the number of road traffi c accidents. northeast of Qatar, he added. Excavations have revealed a from 3pm to 4pm to listen to/ stage with all its obligations and Turki al-Subaey and a number “The campaign has started yielding results,” he said, adding that Al-Naimi said the archaeol- midden (shell heap) containing redress any urgent labour and international events. of senior offi cials at the Civil the number of violations with regard to people using mobile ogy department pays special at- the remains of around 2.9mn indi- consular issues faced by Indian He also listened to an ex- Aviation Authority. phones while driving has come down to 340 a week. tention to antiquities which are vidual crushed shells of sea snail. nationals in Qatar. Gulf Times 6 Monday, July 23, 2018 REGION/ARAB WORLD Oman celebrates 48th Renaissance Day today

QNA and guardian, and to be the fi rst zen participation in national de- The National Programme for the restoration of peace, security This policy has had a positive Muscat benefi ciary. cision-making, which strength- Enhancing Economic Diversifi - and stability throughout the Gulf impact on many issues, which Therefore, Sultan Qaboos has ened the development process, cation is one of the national pro- and Arab region. has preserved the Sultanate’s made every eff ort to build the contributed to the establishment grammes underpinning the 9th Since his assumption of power status and its positive role in the he Sultanate of Oman cel- citizen and develop his abilities, of a state of institutions and law, Five-Year Development Plan. in 1970, Sultan Qaboos has es- region, and made it a partner and ebrates today the 48th an- especially the Omani youth, to and strengthened the values of It aims to contribute to realis- tablished a clear foreign policy an active contributor to the in- Tniversary of the launch of carry out the noble national mis- partnership and the multiplic- ing the Sultanate’s vision of eco- based on the principles of truth, terests of the people. its modern renaissance under the sion. ity of opinions in the context of nomic diversifi cation, the partic- peace and co-operation, spread- Thanks to this wise policy, leadership of Sultan Qaboos bin The Omani citizen has been ensuring the achievement of na- ipation of the sectors of society in ing a culture of tolerance and the Omani people win successes Said. the focus of all the national de- tional interest. its choices and the implementa- peace, extending friendship, co- both internally and externally. July 23, 1970 represented velopment eff orts, plans and pro- At the beginning of this year, tion of the proposed projects. operation and understanding to They are respected wherever the beginning of a glorious grammes for the past 48 years. within the framework of the so- In March, the commercial all countries and peoples, and they are, and the Sultanate en- era to build a better life for the With the participation of the cial welfare of citizens and the operations of the new Muscat abiding by the principles of dia- joys the trust of all the confl ict- Omani citizens who were able Omani citizen, the country’s alleviation of living expenses, the International Airport, which logue to overcome and solve any ing parties. to contribute to achieving the human and material resources fuel subsidy system has been im- Sultan Qaboos: glorious era is an important addition to the disputes by peaceful means and On the internal level, the es- country’s development goals have been mobilised in all fi elds plemented to support benedic- achievements of the modern ren- in accordance with law and in- tablishment and development of through the elements of the of education, health, social care, tory segments of citizens, whose priority to the sectors assisting aissance, began. ternational legitimacy. the armed forces was one of the renaissance. training and culture. incomes do not exceed OMR600. in the diversification of income The airport is one of the build- The Sultanate of Oman con- priorities of the blessed process Under the leadership of Sultan Over the past 48 years, the In June, the Omani cabinet de- sources, including enhancing ing blocks in the Sultanate to tinues its good offi ces to support of renaissance. Qaboos, this glorious day opened determination and strong will of cided to increase the base of eli- the role of the private sector, achieve the national goals and eff orts to promote understanding The Sultan recognised with his a new era of development, Sultan Qaboos with the support, gible categories of citizens with further improving the business strategies and to give a great im- and dialogue among countries in strategic and deep military ex- progress and prosperity in the solidarity, loyalty and eff orts of total income of OMR950. environment and accelerating petus to the tourism sector and resolving all issues so as to enable perience that achieving security Sultanate in all fi elds, prompt- his people led the country to re- Meanwhile, Oman’s Ministry the implementation of the pri- enhance the national economy in peoples to continue their devel- and stability is a necessary con- ing the citizen to build a modern markable fruitful achievements of Manpower, in collaboration vatisation programme and the general and the logistics sector in opment paths in a safer and more dition and priority for building, state capable of restoring the glo- in all fi elds. with the private sector, succeed- development of small and me- particular. stable environment. development and prosperity. ry of Oman and its cultural role in Since the beginning of the ed in absorbing 33,302 male and dium enterprises. The capacity of the new air- the region and the world, on the blessed renaissance, the Omani female job-seekers in the private Tourism, fi sheries and min- port is 12mn passengers annually. basis of citizenship, equality, the citizen’s participation in devel- sector during the period from ing were selected to be promis- Sultan Qaboos’ foreign policy Prisoners pardoned rule of law and the spirit of the opment and decision-making July 2006 to December 2017, ing economic sectors that will was wise, open minded, frank times. has been at the forefront of Sul- an increase of 32% of the target be highlighted during the plan and credible, making Oman an Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman has issued a royal pardon to a Since the fi rst day, Sultan Qa- tan Qaboos’s priorities. number of 25,000. which will contribute to the oasis of security and stability. number of prisoners convicted in diff erent cases, on the occasion of boos was keen on ensuring that He has ensured that Oman has Oman’s 9th Five-Year De- process of economic diversifi ca- Meanwhile, the Sultanate has the Renaissance Day. Of the 274 prisoners pardoned, 115 are expatri- the Omani citizen is the maker of its own experience in the fi eld of velopment Plan (2016-2020) tion as well as other sectors sup- spared no eff orts to work on end- ates, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported. the development, its foundation Shura, democratic work and citi- attaches great importance and porting these sectors. ing confl icts and to prepare for Over 400 Syrian ‘White Helmets’ fl ee to Jordan

Reuters widely hailed in the West and from a fi gure of 800 announced nadian Prime Minister Justin on our request,” tweeted British Jerusalem/ Amman credited with saving thousands earlier by the foreign ministry in Trudeau and others had spoken Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. of people in rebel-held areas dur- Amman. to him recently asking for help in German weekly magazine Bild, ing years of bombing attacks by The evacuees will be kept in a extracting the White Helmets. which broke news of the evacu- undreds of Syrian “White Damascus and its allies. “closed” location in Jordan and “The lives of these people, ation and published footage of Helmet” rescue workers Its members, known for their resettled in Britain, Germany and who have saved lives, were now buses used to transport the Syr- Hand their families fl ed white helmets, say they are neu- Canada within three months, the in danger. I therefore authorised ians across Golan, said 50 of advancing government forces tral. source added. their transfer via Israel to other them would be granted asylum by and slipped over the border into But Syrian President Bashar A second non-Jordanian countries as an important hu- Berlin. Jordan overnight with the help of al-Assad and his backers, includ- source familiar with the agree- manitarian gesture,” Netanyahu “Humanity dictates that many Israeli soldiers and Western pow- ing Russia, have dismissed them ment said the original plan had said. of these brave fi rst-aiders should ers, offi cials said. as Western-sponsored propa- been to evacuate 800 people, Trump did not mention the now fi nd protection and refuge, Israeli Prime Minister Ben- ganda tools and proxies of insur- but only 422 made it out as op- operation during a series of some of them in Germany,” it jamin Netanyahu said in a brief gents. erations were hampered by gov- tweets yesterday. quoted German Foreign Minister video statement yesterday he There was no immediate re- ernment checkpoints and the Britain hailed the evacuation, Heiko Maas as saying. had helped the evacuation at the sponse from Damascus yester- expansion of Islamic State in the saying it and other allies had re- A spokeswoman for the Ger- Smoke rises across the border in Quneitra in southwestern Syria, as request of US President Donald day. area. quested it. man interior ministry said Berlin rebels destroy their arms stocks prior to their departure. Rebel fighters Trump and other leaders - and A Jordanian government Syria and its Russian allies “Fantastic news that we - UK would take in eight White Hel- and civilians began on July 20 evacuating from Quneitra province on there had been fears that the source said 422 people were have launched an off ensive on and friends - have secured evac- mets plus their families. their way to opposition territory further north in Idlib province under workers’ lives were at risk. brought from Syria, over the rebels in the sensitive southwest- uation of White Helmets and It was not immediately clear a surrender deal agreed between Russia and the rebels, seeing the The group, known offi cially Israeli-occupied Golan Heights ern border zone. their families - thank you Israel whether that amounted to the sensitive zone fall back under state control. as Syria Civil Defence, has been frontier and into Jordan, down Netanyahu said Trump, Ca- and Jordan for acting so quickly same 50 people.

10 Al Qaeda militants killed in Yemen attacks

AFP said. Aden The United States con- siders the Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Penin- en suspected Al Qae- sula (AQAP) to be the radi- da militants and two cal group’s most dangerous Tsoldiers fi ghting for branch. Yemen’s government have A long-running drone been killed in clashes and a war against AQAP has in- drone strike, local offi cials tensifi ed since US President and security sources said Donald Trump took offi ce in yesterday. January 2017. The US military is the AQAP has fl ourished in only force known to operate the chaos of the country’s armed drones over Yemen. civil war, which pits the Offi cials in Marab loyal Saudi-backed government to Yemen’s internationally against Houthi rebels. recognised government said Nearly 10,000 people a drone yesterday targeted have been killed in the Yem- a house used by Al Qaeda in en confl ict since 2015, when the central province, killing Saudi Arabia and its allies four militants. joined the government’s Separately, six Al Qaeda fi ght against the Houthis. members and two pro-gov- The confl ict has pushed ernment soldiers were killed the impoverished country to in clashes on Friday follow- the brink of famine, trigger- ing an attack on a militant ing what the United Nations site in southern Shabwa says is the world’s worst sin- province, security sources gle humanitarian crisis.

Rouhani warns Trump about ‘mother of all wars’ Iranian President Hassan only lead to regret,” the state Rouhani yesterday cautioned new agency Irna reported. US President Donald Trump “America should know that about pursuing hostile peace with Iran is the mother policies against Tehran, saying of all peace, and war with “war with Iran is the mother Iran is the mother of all of all wars”, but did not rule wars,” Rouhani said, leaving out peace between the two open the possibility of peace countries. between the two countries, at Iran faces increased US pres- odds since the 1979 Islamic sure and looming sanctions Revolution. after Trump’s decision to with- “You are not in a position draw the United States from to incite the Iranian nation a 2015 international deal over against Iran’s security and Iran’s nuclear programme. interests,” Rouhani said, in Addressing a gathering of an apparent reference to re- Iranian diplomats, Rouhani ported eff orts by Washington said: “Mr Trump, don’t play to destabilise Iran’s govern- with the lion’s tail, this would ment.

Gulf Times 8 Monday, July 23, 2018 AFRICA 18 killed in Boko Haram attack in Chad region

AFP Boko Haram’s Islamist insur- Niger’s army said late on Sat- some casualties,” he added, with- tions about claims that the Islam- N’Djamena gency has devastated the region urday it killed “10 terrorists” after out specifying numbers. ist militants are virtually defeated. since it took up arms in 2009 in one of its military positions in the Babangida is near the Geidam area Taken with the attacks in Chad Nigeria, leaving at least 20,000 southwest of the country was at- where on July 14 fi ghters thought to and Niger, there will be fears about ighteen people have been people dead, displacing more than tacked by Boko Haram. belong to the Boko Haram faction led a renewed campaign in the Lake killed in an attack by sus- 2mn others and triggering a hu- Meanwhile in northeast Niger- by Abu Mus’ab al-Barnawi overran a Chad region and the strength of the Epected Boko Haram militants manitarian crisis. ia, the military said troops killed military base housing hundreds of IS-backed Boko Haram faction. in the Lake Chad region, a Chadian Chad, Cameroon and Niger have “scores” of Boko Haram fi ghters in troops. Al-Barnawi is backed by the The self-styled Islamic State military source said yesterday. all joined the military eff ort by Ni- Yobe state on Saturday afternoon. Islamic State group. West Africa Province (ISWAP) has “Boko Haram elements attacked geria to crush Boko Haram. Army spokesman Colonel Scores of troops were feared previously attacked “hard” mili- a village south of Daboua,” not far Chad has seen a recent increase Onyema Nwachukwu said the mil- dead in the attack in the village of tary and government targets. from Chad’s border with Niger, at in attacks by the group. itants had been intending to attack Jilli but the military has said no It has distanced itself from around 9pm on Thursday, the mil- In May, six people were killed, and loot the market in the town of soldier lost his life. long-time leader Abubakar Shek- itary source said. including four government offi - Babangida when they ambushed Twenty-four hours earlier, Ni- au, whose supporters have been The assailants “cut the throats cials and a soldier, in a Boko Haram troops. gerian troops were ambushed in behind indiscriminate violence to- of 18 people, wounded two others attack on a Chadian army check- “Sadly, while fi ghting through the Bama area of Borno state. wards civilians, particularly using and kidnapped 10 women”. point on an island in Lake Chad. the ambush, the troops recorded Both attacks have raised ques- suicide bombers.

Business boost Senegal’s President 11 taxi drivers shot Macky Sall presents China’s President Xi Jinping a ceremonial dead in SA ambush key during the inauguration of the national wrestling Reuters arena in Dakar. China’s Johannesburg President Xi Jinping inked a clutch of trade accords on the first unmen have shot dead 11 taxi drivers re- visit by a Chinese turning to Johannesburg from the funeral leader to Senegal Gof a colleague in Kwa-Zulu Natal, a police in almost a decade. spokesman said yesterday. The drivers, who were China, Senegal’s members of the Gauteng taxi association, were in a second-biggest minibus driving along the R74 when unknown gun- trading partner men launched an ambush and opened fi re. behind France, has “There was a shooting at about 8pm last night. built a major slice of The vehicle was ambushed. There were 11 fatalities recent Senegalese and four were seriously injured and are in hospital,” infrastructure Kwa-Zulu Natal spokesman Jay Naicker said. including sports “We understand they were from the Gauteng taxi stadia in Dakar, roads, association. There has been a lot of taxi violence in a theatre, a national the area but we are still investigating who the per- wrestling arena and petrators were.” a museum of black Minibus taxis are the most popular form of trans- civilisation. port in South Africa and violence is common by rival groups vying for dominance on profi table routes.

Ethiopia PM calls for multi-party democracy: aide

Reuters Addis Ababa

thiopia must pursue multi-party democracy, the prime minister’s chief of staff said yesterday in what Ecould be the latest in a series of momentous changes sweeping the country. The country allows competing parties but all parlia- mentary seats are held by the Ethiopian People’s Revo- lutionary Democratic Front, which has maintained tight control in the country of 100mn people since it fought its way to power in 1991. The ruling coalition has also presided over an economy that has grown faster than any other in sub-Saharan Af- rica over the past decade. Abiy Ahmed became prime minister in April and since then the government has instituted reforms including releasing political prisoners, diluting state control of the economy and making peace with northern neighbour Eri- trea. The government this month lifted a ban on opposition groups that were considered terrorist groups. Any further steps to strengthen the country’s democ- racy would likely make elections due in 2020 more com- petitive. Abiy was yesterday meeting national and regional par- ties and his chief of staff , Fitsum Arega, said in a tweet: “PM Abiy concluded: Given our current politics, there is no option except pursuing a multiparty democracy sup- ported by strong institutions that respect human rights and rule of law.” He said the parties appreciated Abiy’s political reforms and also wanted changes to electoral laws. The coalition swept the 2015 vote but the opposition was weakened by restrictive laws and what human rights group described as repression. Security forces killed hundreds of people in three years of unrest since then. The opposition said it was cheated of victory in an elec- tion in 2005, after which 193 protesters and seven police- man were killed in riots.

Tanzania weekly says government is ignoring court order to lift ban

Tanzanian weekly newspaper yesterday accused the government of ignoring a court ruling allow- Aing it to resume publication two years after it was banned for “publishing incitements and false news”. The East African Court of Justice last month said Tanza- nia must immediately overturn the publication ban placed on the Mseto newspaper after it published allegations that President John Magufuli’s successful election campaign in 2015 had been partly fi nanced through corrupt means. The information ministry has yet to overturn the ban despite the ruling that the newspaper had not “violated the public interest, or the interest of peace and good or- der” and that the ban is “in violation of the right of free- dom of expression”. The owner of the paper, Saed Kubenea — who is also an opposition lawmaker — accused the gov- ernment in a press conference of “deliberately delaying the implementation of the ruling”. Gulf Times Monday, July 23, 2018 9 AMERICAS

Trump tweets Woman shot dead in Los it looks like his campaign spied Angles hostage drama upon illegally Reuters AFP shops and apartment buildings. Washington Los Angeles Don Kohles was standing outside the store when the suspect’s car slammed into a pole. S President Donald Trump said yesterday gunman took hostages inside Then Kohles heard two shots. on Twitter it was looking more and more a supermarket in Los Angeles He ran into the exit door of the Ulike his campaign for the 2016 presidential Aon Saturday after a gun battle Trader Joe’s, looked back at the election had been illegally spied upon. with police, leaving a store employee street and saw two police offi cers Trump issued the tweet after saying documents dead before the suspect handcuff ed shooting at a man, he said. about his former presidential campaign adviser himself and surrendered, police “The bullets were fl ying every- Carter Page confi rmed with little doubt that the said. where — through the front of the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of In- The drama began at another loca- store and across the parking lot,” vestigation had misled the courts. tion when a man became “involved Kohles told the Los Angeles Times. The FBI released documents on Saturday re- in a family dispute which resulted The gunfi re shattered the glass lated to the surveillance of Page as part of an in- in him shooting his grandmother doors, Kohles said, and the gunman vestigation into whether he conspired with the and a female,” Sergeant Barry Mont- ran inside and “down the middle Russian government to undermine the election. gomery told journalists. aisle.” Page has denied being an agent of the Russian “That suspect fl ed the location Devin Field, who said he was government and has not been charged with any in his grandmother’s vehicle, taking walking into the store when the in- crime. that female victim with him,” and cident unfolded, described his expe- In his tweets, Trump also took aim at defeat- eventually entered a Trader Joe’s su- rience in a series of tweets. ed Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton and the permarket in the Silver Lake neigh- “I was walking in when a car... Democratic National Committee, her party’s gov- bourhood, he said. running from the police crashed erning body. While police chased him, the into street lamp in front of the en- “Looking more & more like the Trump Cam- suspect “fi red on offi cers multiple trance. Gunman got out and started paign for President was illegally being spied upon times” before an “additional gun shooting at the cops. I hid behind a (surveillance) for the political gain of Crooked battle” outside the Trader Joe’s, Los retaining wall with three cops until Hillary Clinton and the DNC,” he said, referring to Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore they had me crawl out,” wrote Field, the Democratic National Committee. told reporters. Police officers escort people after a suspect barricaded himself inside a Trader Joe’s supermarket in Silverlake, whose Twitter account identifi es “Republicans must get tough now. An illegal “Inside the store a young woman Los Angeles, on Saturday. him as a writer for the TV show Jim- Scam!” was shot and killed,” Moore said, my Kimmel Live. Referring to the Carter Page documents, he adding that offi cers rescued her but man or in the crossfi re with the police. released others himself. During the earlier shootout the “Gunman walked in shooting. He said: “As usual they are ridiculously heavily re- she could not be revived. The gunman took “numerous vic- About three hours after the ordeal suspect was wounded in the arm, went into the back and took hos- dacted but confi rm with little doubt that the De- There were contradictory reports tims, of citizens as well as store em- began, negotiations led to the man Mayor Eric Garcetti said. tages. Employees snuck out through partment of “Justice” and FBI misled the courts. about whether the victim, whom US ployees, hostage,” the chief said. “handcuffi ng himself and coming The incident injected chaos — and back emergency exits. Employee Witch Hunt Rigged, a Scam!” media identifi ed as store employee Offi cers freed some workers and outside and surrendering to SWAT scores of police and fi re vehicles — says blood was all over the fl oor, un- The 412 pages, mostly heavily redacted, includ- Melyda Corado, was shot by the gun- customers, while the hostage-taker offi cers,” the police chief said. into the busy commercial area of clear from where,” he wrote. ed surveillance applications to the Foreign Intelli- gence Surveillance Court and warrants surround- ing the investigation into Page. “The FBI believes that Page has been collabo- rating and conspiring with the Russian Govern- ment,” the surveillance application fi led in Octo- ‘Keep us in prayer’ says woman who Houston police hunt clues ber 2016 said. The documents released include applications and renewal warrants fi led in 2017 after Trump lost nine in Missouri boat tragedy in killing of Bush doctor took offi ce. The documents released said “the FBI believes that the Russian Government’s eff orts are being Reuters Her nephew also survived. Federal safety offi cials and the US ouston police are studying surveillance video and following co-ordinated with Page and perhaps other indi- Branson Choking back tears, Coleman talked Coast Guard are investigating the in- up on tips in the killing of a cardiologist who once treated viduals associated with” Trump’s campaign. about the family members she lost, in- cident. Hformer US president George HW Bush and was fatally shot It added Page “has established relationships cluding her two sons and one-year-old Jim Pattison, president of Ripley while riding a bicycle in the city’s medical centre, authorities said with Russian Government offi cials, including woman whose nine fam- daughter Arya. Entertainment, which owns the Bran- on Saturday. Russian intelligence offi cers.” ily members were among the “She had a thousand personalities son ‘Ride The Ducks’ tour company, Mark Hausknecht, 65, was killed on Friday morning by a man Republican lawmakers have contended that the A17 people killed when a tour- wrapped up in her one,” Coleman said. told CBS This Morning on Friday that thought to be in his 30s who fi red at least two shots at him from FBI made serious missteps when it sought a war- ist duck boat capsized in a storm on a “Going home is going to be com- the strength of the storm was unex- a passing bicycle as the doctor rode to work at the centre, which is rant to monitor Page in October 2016 shortly after Missouri lake said on Saturday she is pletely diffi cult. I don’t know how I am pected and the duck boats should not home to several hospitals and medical offi ces, police said. he left the Trump campaign. not sure if there is any way to recover going to do it. Since I have had a home, have been on the lake. The suspect then rode off , according to police, who have yet to Last week, a federal grand jury charged 12 Rus- from such a loss. it has always been fi lled with little feet Two of the World War II-style am- give a motive for the daylight shooting in a busy city area. sian intelligence offi cers with hacking Democratic “Keep us in prayer. We are going to and laughter,” she said. phibious duck boat vehicles were out The doctor’s widow, emergency physician Georgia Hsieh, called computer networks in 2016, in the most detailed need it,” Tia Coleman, who lost her hus- Coleman said the boat’s captain on the lake and headed back to shore, his killing senseless, according to a statement published on Satur- US accusation yet that Moscow meddled in the band, three children and other relatives, pointed out the life jackets but told those but only one made it. day by the Houston Chronicle. presidential election to help Trump. told a news conference from a hospital in aboard there was no need for them. The dead were aged one to 70 and “Now my family and I have unwittingly joined the ranks of thou- Earlier this year, 13 other Russians and three Branson, Missouri, where she was taken Coleman said if she could have came from six US states. sands of other grieving American families who have lost innocent Russian companies were indicted on charges of after the Thursday incident. reached the life jackets, she believes Seven of the 14 survivors were in- loved ones,” Hsieh’s statement said. conspiring to interfere with the election. An amphibious duck boat was car- she could have saved her children. jured and taken to the hospital, au- rying 31 passengers including children She had nothing to say to the cap- thorities said. when a sudden “microburst” storm tain, who was among the survivors. More than three dozen people have packing powerful winds hit Table “I don’t know if there is a recovery died in incidents involving duck boats Rock Lake outside Branson, unleash- from this,” she said. on land and water in the United States Firefighting in Yosemite ing white-cap waves that swamped the At least three other people remained over the past two decades. Firefighters watch vessel before it sank. hospitalized in Branson in stable and Thursday’s disaster in Missouri as an air tanker Coleman said she plunged deep into fair conditions, local media reported. came just four days after passengers drops retardant the lake and did not know how she was Representatives from the Cox- aboard a regular tour boat off Ha- while battling the able to survive. Health Branson hospital and local waii’s Big Island were pelted with “lava Ferguson fire in She thanked people she dubbed Stone County Sheriff ’s Offi ce did not bombs” that left several with third- the Stanislaus “angels” who jumped into the water respond to requests for comment on degree burns and a woman’s leg bro- National Forest, near and helped pull her to safety. Saturday. ken. Yosemite National Park, California. A fire that claimed the life of one firefighter and injured two others near Havana aims to build socialism, not California’s Yosemite national park has almost doubled in communism, in draft constitution size in three days, authorities said. The US Department of Reuters Laying out the new constitution to The draft also sets an age and Agriculture said the Havana lawmakers on Saturday, the secre- term limits for presidents, stating so-called Ferguson tary of the council of state, Homero they must be under 60 when they fire had spread to an Acosta, said it included the recogni- first take office and can carry out no area of 92.6sq km draft of Cuba’s new constitu- tion of private property, something more than two consecutive five-year and is so far only 7% tion omits the aim of build- long stigmatised by the Communist terms. contained. A ing communism and recog- Party as a vestige of capitalism. Reflecting the desired gradual gen- nises private property, in a sign of That change should give greater erational transition in Cuba’s lead- changing times, although it keeps legal recognition to the micro busi- ership, new President Diaz-Canel the Communist Party as the guiding nesses that have flourished in the named his cabinet at the start of the force of the one-party system. wake of market reforms to the ail- assembly meeting on Saturday, pro- Cuba’s national assembly is this ing state-run economy that have moting two officials in their fifties weekend debating a draft of the doc- fostered a small but vibrant private to become vice presidents alongside ument to replace its Soviet-era con- sector and attempted to rake in more two sitting octogenarians and a sep- stitution, reflecting political, social foreign investment. tuagenarian. and economic changes designed to Cuba’s current constitution only Diaz-Canel kept a majority of min- make its brand of socialism sustain- recognises state, co-operative, farmer, isters from Castro including in the able and implementing new ones too. personal and joint venture property. key posts of defence, interior, trade Once lawmakers have approved the The draft also appears to strength- and foreign relations, in line with his draft, it will be submitted to a popu- en political institutions and create a April promise to provide continuity. lar consultation. more collective leadership structure, Marino Murillo, the head of the The final document, which could after nearly 60 years of rule by late Communist Party’s reform commis- include changes, will then be put to a revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and sion and previously one of the coun- national referendum. his younger brother Raul Castro. cil of ministers’ vice presidents, was The current draft omits a clause Castro, then 86, handed over the the only top figure omitted from the in the 1976 constitution on the ulti- presidency in April to his mentee new lineup. mate aim of building a “communist Miguel Diaz-Canel, 58, although he Under Castro, Murillo spearhead- society”, instead simply focusing on remains head of the Communist Par- ed changes to the state-run economy socialism. ty until 2021. and he remains head of the Party’s “This does not mean we are re- He also heads the constitutional reform commission and a member of nouncing our ideas,” the president of reform commission. the political bureau. the National Assembly Esteban Lazo Under the new constitution, the The reforms have slowed how- was quoted as saying by state-run president will no longer be the head ever in recent years amid fears they media. of the council of state and council of have allowed some Cubans to enrich Cuba had simply moved into a dif- ministers. themselves, fostering inequality, and ferent era following the fall of the So- Instead it creates the position of weakened the control of the state. viet Union, he said. prime minister and designates the This month, Cuba issued regula- “We believe in a socialist, sover- president of the assembly also as tions tightening control of the pri- eign, independent, prosperous and head of the council of state, Cuba’s vate sector and limiting business li- sustainable country.” highest executive body. censes to one per person. Gulf Times 10 Monday, July 23, 2018 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

Ex-editor assaulted Japan heatwave claims in Bangladesh AFP professional group. Dhaka Abdullah said Rahman had been confi ned to the court- room for fi ve hours after more prominent former edi- than 100 of the activists took tor and critic of Bang- up position outside. Aladesh’s government “Some 60-70 people took over a dozen lives was assaulted yesterday by part in the attack,” he said, ac- AFP ruling party student activists cusing police of inaction. Tokyo A total of 3,091 ambulances after a court hearing, police A police offi cer said they were dispatched in Tokyo on and witnesses said. were busy providing security Saturday, a record for a single The cadres of the Chhatra for a religious event. apan’s severe heatwave day, it said. League, the student wing of Images of a bloodied Rah- killed at least 15 people and The weather agency said Sun- the ruling Awami League, at- man went viral on social Jsent more than 12,000 to day’s temperatures exceeded tacked Mahmudur Rahman, media. hospital in the fi rst two weeks 35 degrees C at 233 observation 66, with bricks and bamboo Police confi rmed the at- of July, offi cial fi gures show as points across the nation by mid- sticks, his colleague Moham- tack on Rahman was by ruling the temperature neared 40 de- afternoon. mad Abdullah said. party student activists. grees C (104F) in many cities It hit a local record of 39.8 de- The attack happened when “After he got bail, Chhatra yesterday. grees C in the central city of Gujo he got into a car after being League activists attacked his Twelve people died of heat- Sunday afternoon, while in some bailed over a defamation case car with brick pieces. He was stroke in the week ending July 15 parts of Tokyo the temperature by a court in the western town hit by broken glass of the car,” after three perished in the pre- rose past 37 degrees. of Kushtia. a police offi cial said. ceding week, according to latest The weather agency issued a “It was a brutal attack. Rahman has been fl own data. warning of extraordinary high (They) hit the right side of back the capital Dhaka where More than 9,900 people were temperatures for most regions of his head with a brick. We are he will be treated at a top hos- rushed to hospital during the Japan’s main island. now heading to Jessore city pital, his colleague Abdullah week to mid-July, jumping from “Risks of heatstrokes are on an ambulance,” Abdullah said. 2,700 in the previous week, the particularly high,” it said, urg- said. Rahman spent more than Fire and Disaster Management ing citizens to drink enough Images on social media three years in jail on periods Agency said. water and use curtains and air showed Rahman bloody but of arbitrary detention and was The scorching weather shows conditioning. conscious and able to walk. released in November 2016. no signs of easing. The education ministry has Rahman was the editor of He faces some 80 charges Kyodo News agency reported told schools to postpone outdoor the mass-circulation pro- including sedition, torching that at least 11 people, mostly activities on hot days. A six- opposition Bengali daily Amar of vehicles, a plot to kill the elderly citizens, died on Satur- year-old boy died of heatstroke Desh, which was shut down son of Prime Minister Sheikh day alone from suspected heat- last week after a school outing in by the government in 2013. He Hasina and inciting religious stroke. sweltering weather. An ice block is seen on display by a pedestrian sidewalk during a heatwave in Tokyo yesterday. also heads a pro-opposition tension.

Surakiart said the government has, for example, signed an out- line deal with two UNagencies Chief of Rohingya on Rohingya returns, engaged with the UN special envoy to Fresh scandal erupts over Myanmar, invited UN Security Council representatives to the panel repudiates country and sent a minister to visit the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. vaccine safety in China It is unclear to what degree the criticism by recommendations of the panel, whose offi cial name is the Advi- Reuters our country?” asked one Weibo tute of Biological Products, in control agencies had suspended sory Board for the Committee for Beijing user, while another lamented, substandard DPT vaccines. some of its other vaccines. Implementation of the Recom- “Looking at the news, I don’t Reuters’ calls to Changsh- The latest problems come a outgoing offi cial mendations on Rakhine State, on dare to have an injection.” eng’s headquarters yesterday little more than two years after these matters have infl uenced the scandal over faulty The scandal erupted a week went unanswered. police in northern Shandong government’s decision-making. vaccines in China has ago, after major vaccine maker The Food and Drug Admin- province said they had uncov- Reuters retired ambassador and former The panel was set up by the Asparked anger on so- Changsheng Biotechnology istration said in a statement on ered the illegal sale of vaccines Yangon member of Thailand’s parliament, Myanmar government and sup- cial media, underscoring the Co was found to have violated Sunday evening that its investi- worth nearly $90mn. as secretary of the panel. Kobsak posed to advise it on how to im- diffi culties regulators face in standards in making rabies gation had found that Changsh- Last week China’s Zhejiang said on Friday that the group had plement the recommendations rebuilding trust after years of vaccine for humans. eng fabricates production records Huaihai Pharmaceutical said it he chairman of an inter- “been kept on a short leash” and of an earlier commission, headed food and drug safety scares. The regulator ordered it to and product inspection records, was recalling a heart drug sold national panel set up by achieved little in the six months by former UN secretary-general The incident is a major blow halt production and recall all its and arbitrarily changes proc- in the United States after the TMyanmar to advise on since its formation in January. Kofi Annan, on solving the crisis for Beijing’s eff orts to push vaccines, the company said in a ess parameters and equipment, European Medicines Agency the Rohingya crisis has rebutted Kobsak said the panel had in its western Rakhine, which domestically made vaccines statement. “serious violations” of the law. found that it was tainted with criticism by the body’s former been barred from accepting in- has been riven by ethnic and re- and for China’s drug regulator, On Thursday, however, it told It said the agency was in- an impurity linked to cancer. secretary, saying the panel is ef- ternational funding or setting ligious tensions for years. which has been struggling to the stock exchange that authori- vestigating the company and The Changsheng scandal will fective and the government has up a permanent offi ce and told to Kobsak’s departure has dealt clean up the world’s second- ties in its base in northeastern suspected crimes would be hit confi dence in domestic vac- acted on its recommendations. conduct meetings online. Repre- another blow to the credibility of biggest drug industry. Jilin province were fi ning it over handled by the public secu- cines by rekindling safety con- Former Thai foreign minister sentatives of the Myanmar army the body, after veteran US politi- Worried parents trying to as- substandard production, uncov- rity department, adding that cerns over products for chil- Surakiart Sathirathai, who last have refused to meet the board. cian Bill Richardson, walked out certain if their children had been ered in 2017, of a DPT vaccine all vaccine producers would be dren, a challenge state media year was picked by Myanmar to “The statement that the advi- of its fi rst set of meetings in Janu- administered faulty vaccines led to combat diphtheria, pertussis inspected and any violations highlighted. chair the group, said late on Sat- sory board lacks achievements is ary, dubbing it a “whitewash” and to the topic becoming the sec- and tetanus (DPT). would be dealt with seriously. “Vaccines directly concern urday progress has been made in incorrect and unfair,” Surakiart “cheerleading operation” for My- ond most watched at the week- The defective vaccine might In a stock exchange statement the health of children and are violence-torn Rakhine State in said in a statement, citing recent anmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi. end on the Weibo social media not confer immunity but would yesterday, the company said its related to life,” the state-run line with the advice the panel has moves by the Myanmar govern- Myanmar government site, with details widely shared not aff ect human safety, pro- suspension of rabies vaccine Global Times said in a com- given to the government. ment to re-engage with the Unit- spokesman Zaw Htay could on the WeChat messaging app. vincial authorities had said in production would have a sig- mentary. “Every negative news His comments follow the res- ed Nations after last year’s crack- not be reached for comment “If the state does not protect November, implicating an- nifi cant impact on its fi nances item in this area will make all of ignation of Kobsak Chutikul, a down on Rohingya Muslims. yesterday. its citizens, how can we love other company, Wuhan Insti- and that some regional disease society look at it.”

Govt adopts abandoned greyhounds as Australia scientists Dozens injured in clashes at track shuts develop blood test Authorities in Macau have taken under their care more than 500 Nepal healthcare protest greyhounds abandoned by the for melanoma operator of the city’s dog-racing track after it closed. AFP The Canidrome Club, owned by AFP cern cut out surgically and Kathmandu one of the city’s most powerful Sydney biopsied. women Angela Leong, was until Zaenker said the new proc- its shutdown Asia’s only legal ess involved identifying au- ozens of protesters in dog-racing track. ustralian researchers toantibodies a person’s body Nepal have been in- The track, established in 1931, had have developed a blood produces in response to the Djured in clashes with long faced criticism from animal Atest for melanoma in its cancer. police at a demonstration in rights groups, who said the early stages, calling it a “world “We examined a total of support of a hunger-striking greyhounds were treated cruelly fi rst” breakthrough that could 1627 diff erent types of anti- doctor seeking better health- and sometimes put to death after save many lives. bodies to identify a combi- care in the impoverished a losing streak. The scientists, from Edith nation of 10 antibodies that Himalayan country. But the closure of the track in the Cowan University, said the best indicated the presence Thousands took to the streets semi-autonomous Chinese city new test could help doctors of melanoma in confi rmed on Saturday in solidarity with Dr had also raised fears over the detect the skin cancer before patients relative to healthy Govinda K C, who has been on a fate of the dogs. it spreads through a person’s volunteers,” she added. hunger strike for nearly a month The government’s move body. Cancer Council Austral- demanding reforms in the medi- follows a long wrangle between “Patients who have their ia chief executive Sanchia cal sector and education. campaigners and billionaire melanoma detected in its Aranda said the test would Protesters from Nepal Tarun Leong, a lawmaker in Macau early stage have a fi ve-year be important for high-risk Dal, the youth wing of the op- and the fourth wife of tycoon survival rate between 90 and groups, who have to un- position party Nepali Congress, Stanley Ho, who has denied 99%,” lead researcher Pauline dergo regular inspections were injured when police fi red the accusations of inhumane Zaenker said in a statement. of their spots and moles multiple rounds of teargas and treatment. She added that survival that can be diffi cult and used batons as they entered a re- The Macau government said in rates fell to less than 50% if the time-consuming. stricted area near the parliament a statement yesterday that the cancer spread in the body. She cautioned that the test in capital Kathmandu. 533 greyhounds were in “normal “This is what makes this did not pick up other types of Activists yesterday said they Policemen and activists of the Tarun Dal, the youth wing of Nepali Congress Party, clash during a demonstration health condition”. They were blood test so exciting as a po- less deadly, but more com- planned more protests following against the government in Kathmandu. being cared for by government tential screening tool because mon, skin cancers such as the clashes. specialists and volunteers from it can pick up melanoma in its squamous cell and basal cell “We are protesting against remote communities to pro- last week as concerns for his ting down for talks with the animal rights groups, including very early stages when it is still carcinoma. the government’s authoritari- vide medical care and train local health grew. government. Macau-based Anima, which had treatable,” Zaenker said. “People need to be very an-like behaviour. They are not health workers. A key sticking point has been a Another hundred support- called for an end to dog-racing. The research, published in aware of whether they’ve listening to the people and to Dr K C, 61, has gone on hun- medical education bill registered ers also joined Dr K C in a hun- The government last week the journal Oncotarget last got sun damage or UV dam- the just demands of Dr Govinda ger strike 15 times over the past in the parliament earlier this ger strike yesterday to pres- slammed Leong’s company Yat week, included a trial involving age on their skin, and be alert K C,” Bhupendra Jung Shahi, six years in an attempt to pres- month seeking to overturn an or- sure the government to respond Yuen for delaying eff orts to find 105 patients with melanoma to changes in any spots or general secretary of Nepal sure the government to improve dinance by the previous govern- positively. new homes for the dogs, saying it and 104 healthy people. moles,” she said. Tarun Dal, said. healthcare. ment that met Dr K C’s demands “Until the government re- acted irresponsibly. The procedure detected The scientists will conduct Viewed by his supporters as He began his current hunger to regulate doctor training and sponds to his demands we will It said the company could be early stage melanoma in 79% another clinical trial last- a medical Robin Hood, Dr K C strike, the longest at 23 days, on curtail commercialisation in continue to protest peacefully punished under the Animal of cases, the scientists said. ing three years to validate the is well known in Nepal for his June 30 in remote Jumla district medical education. and draw the attention of the gov- Protection Law. Melanoma is currently de- fi ndings, and hope to have philanthropic work, travelling and was airlifted to Kathmandu Dr K C has demanded a with- ernment,” said Dinesh Prasai, a Yat Yuen did not respond to a tected using a visual scan by a test that clinics can use to some of the country’s most by the government amid protests drawal of the bill before sit- professor who had joined the fast. request for comment. (AFP) a doctor, with areas of con- after that. Gulf Times Monday, July 23, 2018 11 BRITAIN Labour should drop action against Hodge, says McDonnell

Guardian News and Media and ally, said that if it could not be express anger – I’m one of these on antisemitism. The code fea- voked further anger from Cor- move on. Or if someone wants their to what they have to say.” London abandoned, the Hodge investiga- people who has in the past – and tures the internationally accepted byn’s critics in the party, not least complaint investigated, let’s get He went on: “A complaint has tion should be resolved very quick- basically you have to accept that International Holocaust Remem- because Hodge, a former minister that done quickly.” Corbyn himself been registered and that will have ly because it was best to “move on”. sometimes people can be quite brance Alliance (IHRA) defi nition and former chair of the public ac- took a less conciliatory view when to be dealt with by the party, but abour should drop its dis- In an interview on Sky’s Sophy heated in their expressions. Let’s of antisemitism, but does not repli- counts committee, is a respected he was asked about the Hodge inci- that is independent of me.” ciplinary inquiry into Dame Ridge on Sunday, he said: “I’ve understand that and just move on.” cate in full a list of examples of an- fi gure who in the past campaigned dent, in an interview at the Tolpud- What has angered Corbyn’s LMargaret Hodge for calling worked with Margaret over the Hodge called Corbyn an “antise- tisemitism published by the IHRA very eff ectively against the BNP. dle Martyrs festival in Dorset. critics is the fact that Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn an antisemite, the years, I was the chief exec of an mitic racist” in an angry row in the alongside its defi nition. McDonnell told Sky: “Someone “I felt not pleased about it,” he code of conduct includes a section shadow chancellor, John McDon- organisation that she was chair of House of Commons on Tuesday After Hodge’s comments a has made a complaint so that’s be- said. “I felt upset about it, but as listing some, but not all, of the ex- nell, has said. for over 10 years (the Association after Labour’s national executive spokesman for Corbyn said that ing investigated. My view is let’s always I am very calm and treat amples of antisemitism published As Corbyn defended the in- of London Authorities), she’s got committee refused to abandon a they were unacceptable and that resolve this very, very quickly, al- people with a great deal of respect. by the IHRA alongside its defi ni- quiry, McDonnell, his close friend a good heart. “Sometimes you can controversial new code of conduct action would be taken. This pro- most drop the complaint, and let’s I don’t shout at people, I just listen tion.

Govt ‘to Beach cricket refuse Prime minister Brexit bill without trade deal’ under pressure

AFP London over Griffi ths ritain will only pay its EU divorce bill if the bloc Bagrees the framework for a future trade deal, the new Brexit secretary warned in an interview published yesterday. Dominic Raab, who replaced bullying claims David Davis earlier this month af- ter he quit the role in protest over Guardian News and Media have refused to publicly back him and “inappropriately touched” by the government’s Brexit strategy, London as concerns about his past con- Griffi ths. said “some conditionality be- duct have become public this Her complaint was dismissed tween the two” was needed. week. in February – a month after Grif- “Article 50 requires, as we ne- heresa May is under pres- The 47-year-old stood down fi ths’ ministerial appointment – gotiate the withdrawal agree- sure to explain whether as minister for small business after the MP claimed it was “im- ment, that there’s a future frame- Tshe knew about allegations last weekend after it emerged he plausible” that he would touch work for our new relationship of “extreme bullying” against the had sent more than 2,000 texts, a female colleague’s knee in a going forward, so the two are disgraced former minister An- many of them sexually aggressive, room full of people. He admitted linked,” Raab told the Sunday Tel- drew Griffi ths when she promoted to two bar workers more than 20 putting his arm around her waist, egraph, referring to the EU treaty him to government within days of years his junior. but said he had no other option mechanism used to trigger Brexit. becoming prime minister. The Guardian revealed this because she was tall and her hus- “You can’t have one side fulfi ll- Griffi ths, the prime minister’s week that Griffi ths was promoted band was holding her back. ing its side of the bargain and the former chief of staff who was to minister for small business in It can now be disclosed that other side not, or going slow, or forced to resign as a minister for January despite being under in- Florence-Jukes also told the Con- failing to commit on its side.” sending hundreds of sexually ex- vestigation over allegations of servative party about “alarm- Britain is set to leave the Eu- plicit messages to two women, inappropriate touching and bul- ing rumours” of alleged sexual ropean Union on March 30 next had been accused of bullying a lying by Deneice Florence-Jukes, indiscretions by Griffi ths which, year. council leader for several years a former Tory borough councillor, she said, were circulating among The two sides want to strike an when May took offi ce in July who had fi led a formal complaint members of the East Staff ordshire initial withdrawal agreement by 2016. three months earlier. Conservative association. But late October, in order to give par- The complaints, which can be It is understood that the com- Griffi ths described the rumours as liament enough time to endorse revealed for the fi rst time, are un- plaints by Grosvenor, who has led “completely fi ctitious and defam- it, before reaching a broader deal derstood to include claims that the Conservatives on East Staf- atory” and they were dismissed as on their future relationship. the Tory MP sent abusive text fordshire borough council since appearing to be “founded entirely The government has sent messages to Richard Grosvenor, May 2009, date back to at least on hearsay rumour and gossip” mixed signals so far on its divorce the leader of the Tory-run East 2015 – before Griffi ths was pro- and were not investigated further. bill. Staff ordshire borough council. moted to government. Her 11-page complaint, seen Prime Minister Theresa May Despite the complaint being Grosvenor said he had been by the Guardian, described Grif- agreed in December to a fi nan- acknowledged by Conservative the victim of “extreme bullying” fi ths as a “savage bully” who os- cial settlement totalling £35bn campaign headquarters (CCHQ) by Griffi ths over many years but tracised her from the party after to £39bn that ministers said de- in e-mails up to January 2016, that his complaints to CCHQ had she “embarrassed” the MP by pended on agreeing future trade Grosvenor said his allegations fallen on deaf ears. turning down an off er to run for ties.But Cabinet members have were never properly investigated. The council leader has told a seat in last year’s snap election. cast doubt on the position. Six months later, in July 2016, friends that he received “ranting He had supported her candidacy Finance Minister Philip Ham- Griffi ths was appointed lord com- texts” from Griffi ths, including and raised money for her cam- mond said shortly afterwards he missioner of the Treasury and some threatening to overthrow paign before she withdrew from found it “inconceivable” Brit- senior government whip in May’s him and expel him from the the race. ain would not pay its bill, which fi rst government. party. The complaint sent in Novem- he described as “not a credible The new revelation will raise Grosvenor confi ded in Flor- ber describes how Griffi ths ran his scenario”. Raab met the EU’s top further questions about his rapid ence-Jukes about his ordeal last Burton-based party headquarters negotiator Michel Barnier for the rise to government and increase year when she approached him “in Gothard House, known as No 9, fi rst time this week and will re- pressure on him to resign as the fl oods of tears” about her experi- as his personal fi efdom. The MP turn for further talks on Thurs- MP for Burton. ence of Griffi ths, according to her surrounded himself with young, day. More than 5,000 people have formal complaint to CCHQ. male, aspiring MPs labelled Following the meeting Barnier signed a petition calling for him to Florence-Jukes, a former mili- “Chairman Mao’s gang of four” said the priority in talks should Members of the Ship Inn Cricket team take on Obolensky’s Heroes CC during a match played step down and a demonstration is tary police offi cer who now sits who, the councillor said, allowed be on fi nalising the initial agree- on Elie Beach in Scotland. planned in his constituency next as an independent councillor, his unreasonable behaviour to go ment. month. Many in his own party complained she had been bullied unchallenged. Cable denies plotting new Brits reject May’s anti-Brexit centrist party Brexit plan: poll Reuters ing relationship with the EU on London goods thrust her government into Guardian News and Media It is understood that no MPs “because I’ve got a very good party crisis this month after two of her London from other parties, and no do- of my own which is winning some most senior ministers, including nors, were at the dinner, where of the key arguments”. But he said rime Minister Theresa May’s Johnson, resigned over the plans. Cable and others were engaged in he was in favour of parties col- plans to leave the European Only one in 10 voters would pick he LibDem leader, Sir Vince a wide-ranging discussion on how laborating, as the LibDems and the PUnion are overwhelmingly the government’s proposed Brexit Cable, has denied he was Brexit was contributing to a rea- Greens did in Richmond, his local opposed by the public and more plans if there was a second refer- Tdiscussing the creation of a lignment in UK politics – an issue council, where they struck a deal than a third of voters would sup- endum, according to a poll. new anti-Brexit centrist party at of particular interest to the Lib- over seats at the local elections. port a new right-wing political Almost half think it would be a private meeting on Monday that Dem leader. Cable said his priority was to party committed to quitting the bad for Britain. led to him missing tight votes in In his interview, Cable said re- work with other parties to stop bloc, according to a new poll. The survey also found voters are the House of Commons. ports claiming the creation of a Brexit but that in the longer term May’s political vulnerability increasingly polarised, with grow- He also ruled out joining or new centre-ground party was he expected to see a realignment of was exposed by the survey which ing numbers of people alienated merging with another party, and discussed at the dinner were “not politics. found voters would prefer Boris from the two main political par- said he had repeatedly warned correct”. But he defended talking He continued: “The tensions Johnson, who quit as foreign ties. those disillusioned with the cur- to people in other parties, saying it building up in the Labour party minister two weeks ago, to ne- Thirty-eight percent of people rent political parties that the UK’s was “part of the job”. and the Conservative party are so gotiate with the EU and lead the would vote for a new right-wing fi rst past the post electoral system Without going into details of severe that it’s diffi cult to see them Conservative Party into the next party that is committed to Brexit, makes setting up a new party “of- what was discussed, Cable said he surviving in their present form, election. while almost a quarter of the pub- ten suicidal or silly”. was sceptical of the case for setting and we have to think ahead a little Only 16% of voters say May is lic would support an explicitly But, in an interview on Pien- up a new party. bit. And my party will play a key handling Brexit well, compared to far-right anti-immigrant, the poll aar’s Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live, “I warn people who go around role in whatever happens.” 34% who say that Johnson would found. Cable refused to discuss who else talking about new parties that un- In his interview, Cable de- do a better job, according to the Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage attended what he described as “a der the fi rst past the post system scribed as “ridiculous” claims poll conducted by YouGov for The and US President Donald Trump’s confi dential private discussion”, or this is often suicidal and silly, and that his leadership of the Lib- Sunday Times newspaper. former adviser Steve Bannon are in exactly what they talked about. we’ve seen quite a lot of new par- Dems was at risk. Some LibDem With a little more than eight discussions about a forming a new Attending the dinner on Mon- ties being launched recently, and activists are reportedly planning months to go before Britain is due right-wing movement, according day meant Cable missed two votes they’ve crashed and burned very to discuss replacing Cable at a to leave the EU on March 29, 2019, to The Sunday Times. on Brexit legislation, each of which quickly,” he said. “It’s much better meeting this week, but Cable dis- May’s government, parliament, Half of voters would support the government won with majori- to work constructively with people missed the notion that his posi- the public and businesses remain remaining in the EU if there was ties of just three. in other parties.” tion was under threat, saying this deeply divided over what form a second referendum, the poll Tim Farron, the former LibDem Asked if he would ever join a was “the last thing” he was wor- Brexit should take. found, a level of support found in leader, was also absent. new party, he said he would not ried about. Cable: rules out joining or merging with another party May’s plans to keep a close trad- other surveys this year. Gulf Times 12 Monday, July 23, 2018 BRITAIN Universal credit IT system ‘broken’, whistleblowers say

Guardian News and Media Service centre workers have antees severe problems with average an extra three weeks to the will eventually handle £63bn of ference” after it had repeatedly listen to campaigners, claimants London told the Guardian that glitches claims.” formal 35-day wait for an initial benefi ts going to 8mn people, is ignored warnings of basic proc- and frontline staff to fi nd ways to and errors in the “cobbled-to- He said the system was over- benefi t payment, pushing claim- matched by disquiet over what ess errors that led to 70,000 change and improve the system. gether” system have commonly complex and prone to errors that ants into debt, rent arrears, and critics say has been a defensive disabled benefi t claimants being One whistleblower said many of niversal credit is so rid- led to claimants’ benefi t pay- aff ected payments and often reliance on food banks. and insular approach to manag- underpaid an estimated £500mn the design problems with universal dled with design fl aws ments being delayed for weeks or proved slow to correct. Campaigners warn that the ing welfare reform by the de- over six years. credit stemmed from the failure to Uand process faults that it wrongly reduced by hundreds of “In practical terms, it is not problems could get worse next partment for Work and Pensions The Work and Pensions Sec- understand claimants’ needs, es- is practically guaranteed to gener- pounds. working the way it was intended year when more than 3mn claim- (DWP). retary, Esther McVey, sought to pecially where they lacked digital ate mistakes and delays that would One said: “The IT system on and it is having an actively harmful ants start to be “migrated” to the The department came under limit the damage in a speech on skills and internet access. “We are push vulnerable benefi t claim- which universal credit is built eff ect on a huge number of claim- new system. Growing concern withering fi re last week from a Thursday in which she admitted punishing claimants for not un- ants into hardship, according to is so fundamentally broken and ants.” over universal credit, which is cross-party group of MPs who there were problems with uni- derstanding a system that is not whistleblowers. poorly designed that it guar- Mistakes and delays can add on six years behind schedule but accused it of a “culture of indif- versal credit, and promised to built with them in mind,” he said. Smash and grab Wasteland raiders terrorise affl uent suburb

London Evening Standard items from the shop but did not London steal any medicine. Keren Oaknin, 35, who owns La Boutique Secret, in West End shopping street in an af- Lane, said her shop was targeted at fl uent north London sub- around 2.45am on July 6. She said Aurb is under siege from CCTV showed two fi gures trying raiders who have smashed their to gain access with crowbars, add- way into more than 20 business- ing: “I feel really insecure, espe- es in six weeks. cially as this is such a safe neigh- Stores along the B510 in West bourhood. They are being very Hampstead, including Tesco Ex- reckless because it is such a busy press and a fashion boutique, have area with Underground workers been broken into with crowbars, coming in early.” boulders or concrete slabs. One The same night, The Gallery shop lost £3,000. Police believe bar, in Broadhurst Gardens, ad- the crimes are linked. jacent to the B510, was targeted. In one of the latest incidents, Duty manager Rory Drysdale CCTV shows an intruder hurling said CCTV shows the burglar a large concrete slab through the sizing up the outside before try- glass door at Perfect Dry Clean- ing to break in. Although noth- ers before he and another masked ing was taken, Drysdale, 24, suspect force their way into the described it as a “wake-up call”, shop and plunder the till. adding: “Everyone needs to dou- The attack is one of 14 burgla- ble check when they lock up.” ries or attempted burglaries that Homes have also been hit, have taken place in the area since with one resident report- Garbage piles up in the car park at the former Toys R Us in Tilling Road, which shut in April. Residents called on Barnet council to take action and demanded the flytippers July 1. Police say there have been ing a laptop and tech accesso- be punished. 22 incidents reported since the ries worth £1,800 stolen. The start of June. resident said: “Someone broke Emad Ali, 44, who has run Per- through the PVC front window fect Dry Cleaners in Abbey Road by taking a crowbar to the bot- for 10 years, described the crimi- tom and forcing it up. This was nals, who made off with £400, in the middle of the day and we’d as “fearless”. He told the Evening just popped out.” Standard: “They could come back Tesco Express, in Fortune any time and no one can stop Green Road, has also been tar- them. Even if the police catch geted, while charity shop All Man held after acid attack them, what will they do? These Aboard, in West End Lane, has people aren’t scared of anything.” had its windows smashed twice. Hampstead Dry Cleaners, in Kammila Kasprzyk, 26, a Fortune Green Road, had its win- beauty therapist at Vervena dow shattered in one of two bur- Beauty Clinic, in West End Lane, glaries on June 16 and July 2. In said the salon had its doorbell total, the thieves made off with stolen on July 16. Burglars also on three-year-old boy £3,000 cash. attempted to break in on July 6, Owner Hemen Osman told the but were scared off by the alarm. Guardian News and Media suspicion of conspiracy to com- carrying out a thorough investi- He told the Press Association: “I a small child is just appalling,” he Standard: “They used a stone “It seems to be happening a lot London mit grievous bodily harm and re- gation to identify those respon- was in the shop next door when it added. weighing more than 15kg to break and one of our clients had her mained in police custody yester- sible. was going on. It was around mid- “It’s an issue which rightly the glass and the door. You don’t home broken into up the road day. Images of three men to whom “At this time, the motive for afternoon. there has been a lot of concern feel safe when something like this too,” she said. olice have arrested a man investigators would like to speak the attack is unclear. Offi cers are “I didn’t know what the situ- (over) in parliament and a move happens. Ian Cohen, chairman of For- and are appealing for in- were also released by West Mer- working hard to establish ex- ation was – there were a couple to toughen sentences for any kind “I’ve ordered shutters now tune Green ward for the Hamp- Pformation from the public cia police. The incident occurred actly what happened and what of fi re engines and a fi re incident of acid attack. But particularly the which have cost £4,000 so I am stead and Kilburn Conservatives, after a three-year-old boy was at about 2.15pm in a branch of the the substance involved was. The vehicle and a police car. By that nature of this being a small child £7,000 out of pocket, which is a said his business, Look New Dry seriously injured in a suspected Home Bargains chain of discount three men in the photo may have point the ambulance had been is very concerning indeed. lot for a small business.” Cleaners, in West End Lane, was acid attack. stores on Shrub Hill Retail Park in information vital to our inves- and gone. It is the fi rst time, as far “At this stage, the key thing is He added: “I have three chil- hit on June 26. He said: “Busi- The boy is being treated in hos- the Tallow Hill area. tigation. I am sure someone will as I’m aware, this has happened in for the police to act quickly and dren, and I work long hours every nesses are now putting up signs in pital for serious burns to his face Chief superintendent Mark recognise them and I would urge Worcester.” see if they can track down the per- day, but I just have to accept it and the windows saying, ‘There’s no and one of his arms after the in- Travis said: “At this time we are anyone with information to con- Robin Walker, the MP for petrator and understand what’s continue.” cash on site, please leave us alone’. cident in Worcester on Saturday. treating this as a deliberate at- tact us as a matter of urgency.” Worcester, described the incident behind it because it is an unthink- Ramco Pharmacy, in West End I leave my till in the front window.” Police believe he was deliberately tack on a three-year-old boy. The The deputy leader of Worcester as horrifi c and urged anyone with able thing to happen.” The leader Lane, had its window smashed The Met Police said there have targeted. incident will rightly shock the lo- city council, Adrian Gregson, said information to contact the police. of Worcester city council, Marc with a 30cm diameter boulder been no arrests and it was inves- A 39-year-old man from Wol- cal community and I would like to he was in the shop next to Home “The shock will be universal, any- Bayliss, described the attack as on July 4. Thieves made off with tigating. verhampton was arrested on reassure local people that we are Bargains shortly after the attack. one conducting such an attack on “pure evil”.

George turns five Police’s anti-graft Disabled comedian unit faces probe

Guardian News and Media “The investigation includes left trapped on train London alleged interference in, and cur- tailment of, investigations by potentially confl icted senior of- Guardian News and Media up and down the UK. platform staff , he’s rang them, cotland Yard’s anti- fi cers, failure to investigate alle- London “The train guard came and and they were like: ‘What, oh my corruption unit is facing gations of wrongdoing, systemic talked to me and said: ‘I’ve al- God, we thought she got off the San investigation after removal of the restrictions of ready rung, York knows that you train.’ claims of “serious corruption offi cers under investigation and comedian who felt “har- are arriving,’” she said in a video “Anyway, oh, another day, and malpractice” within its racial discrimination. assed and humiliated” for posted to her YouTube channel. another try, you know, and I’ve own ranks. “As part of this investigation, Ausing a disabled space on gotta be on stage in an hour and The police watchdog, the three offi cers have been served a train for her mobility scooter, “The guard on this train now I’m going to be an hour out Independent Offi ce of Police with gross misconduct notices prompting an apology from the is lovely, I don’t know his of my way. It’s been a rough day.” Conduct, said the claims relate and one of those offi cers is also operating company, has had yet name but he’s lovely. This is She thanked everyone for the to the Met’s Directorate of Pro- under criminal investigation. another bad experience on the not a beef against the guard, outpouring of public support fessional Standards (DPS). The Assessments on the status of railways. he did everything he could throughout the week and apolo- claims include interfering in in- a number of other offi cers re- Tanyalee Davis was en route possibly do” gised for not being able to reply vestigations, racism and turning mains ongoing.” to York for a show and, although to all of the thousands of mes- a blind eye to wrongdoing. News of the investigation she had already spoken to staff to He told her not to panic and sages. The IOPC said one offi cer was was not made public through ensure she would be helped off that if no one was there to help The guard was “mortifi ed” and under criminal investigation an announcement by either the the London North Eastern Rail- her, he would come to assist her. apologised personally and, when and three have been formally IOPC or the Met, but was fi rst way (LNER) train, no one came to “So we get to York, I’m waiting she fi nally arrived at York sta- notifi ed they are under disci- reported by the Sunday Times. assist – meaning she had to stay and nobody’s coming and some tion and staff were “over the top plinary investigation for gross It said the IOPC inquiry was on board until Darlington, 50 people get off and I just assume apologetic”. misconduct. The Met is Britain’s codenamed Operation Embley miles away. that the guard will be coming and Luckily, Davis made it to her biggest police force and the DPS and the claims it was examining Canadian-born Davis, 47, who all of a sudden the train doors gig. A picture of a smiling Prince George was released by the is supposed to guard against included that the DPS shielded has a form of dwarfi sm, was or- close and now I’m off to Darling- A spokesman for LNER told royal family as Queen Elizabeth’s great grandson, who is third lapses in the force’s ethics, in- police offi cers facing child abuse dered to vacate the disabled ton. the BBC: “We are very sorry for in line to the throne, celebrated his fifth birthday yesterday. tegrity and standards. allegations, and claims of fraud space on a GWR train earlier this “The guard on this train is the unacceptable experience George, the oldest of Prince William and Kate’s three children, Jonathan Green, of the IOPC, and physical assault. week. lovely, I don’t know his name Davis had whilst travelling with was photographed in the garden of his home in Clarence said: “I can confi rm we have be- The Met said no offi cers had The latest incident, on Friday but he’s lovely. This is not a beef us. We are fully investigating House, central London. The Daily Mail reported that George gun an investigation into allega- been suspended or placed under – five days after her initial or- against the guard, he did every- the incident to understand what was spending his birthday on the Caribbean island of tions of serious corruption and restricted duties. It said it had deal – shines a light on the eve- thing he could possibly do. went wrong and to ensure that Mustique in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with his family. malpractice within the DPS of referred the claims to the police ryday trials of disabled people “But this is the problem. The lessons are learnt for the future.” the Metropolitan police. watchdog. Gulf Times Monday, July 23, 2018 13 EUROPE

PARADE REHEARSAL IMMIGRATION PROTEST JUSTICE WEATHER Thousands protest stance Greek anarchists throw Malta PM says name cleared Iconic Acropolis closed as of Merkel’s Bavarian allies paint at foreign ministry in Panama Papers probe heatwave scorches Greece

Around 25,000 yesterday people braved the rain Greek self-proclaimed anarchists yesterday threw Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said yesterday A summer heatwave in Greece yesterday in Munich to protest the hardline immigration red paint at the facade of the foreign ministry a year-long inquiry into allegations of financial pushed temperatures above 40 degrees across stance of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Bavarian in Athens and flyers on the streets outside the wrongdoing linked to the Panama Papers scandal the country, leading authorities in Athens to allies three months before they face a tough nearby parliament, police said. About 10 people had cleared him. Muscat called a snap election last close the city’s iconic Acropolis. Athens saw state election in Bavaria. The protest is another were involved in the evening incident, a police year — which he won comfortably — after he and his temperatures of 39 degrees Celsius recorded in sign of the Christian Social Union’s (CSU) waning off icial said. There were no injuries. One person entourage, including his wife Michelle, were accused the shade, climbing to well above 40 degrees popularity after an Infratest poll published had been detained. In a statement published of owning a company mentioned in the papers. in the sun. Public broadcaster ERT reported last week put its support in Bavaria at 38%, on the Internet, the Rouvikonas group said the “Today, justice has been served,” a visibly emotional that the Acropolis was closed at 2pm. Greece’s compared with the 47.7% it secured in a 2013 attack was linked to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Muscat told a press conference. He said a judicial Ministry of Culture had decided to take the Russian sailors carry a naval flag as they take regional election. March organisers said in a Small-scale attacks on businesses, state buildings, investigation running to 1,500 pages showed former step as a measure to protect visitors and part in the parade rehearsal along the banks statement they were demonstrating against the police and politicians are frequent in Greece. opposition leader “Simon Busuttil has thrived on a lie employees from heat stroke. The ancient site of the Neva river in Saint Petersburg ahead of “irresponsible divisive politics” of top members Rouvikonas has staged several such attacks in a bid to win power.” And Muscat said that “the only is normally open until 8pm. In central Greece, the annual Navy day celebrations on the last of the CSU which governs Bavaria and is the against politicians, businesses and government honourable thing for (Busuttil) to do is resign from all thermometers showed temperatures of 41 Sunday of July. sister party to Merkel’s Christian Democrats. buildings in recent years. his positions, including as MP.” degrees. Macron security assistant facing charges as heat rises over assault

AFP videos, Macron’s offi ce said Benalla was The government has been forced to sus- Paris punished in May with a two-week suspen- pend debate on a constitutional reform bill sion and transferred from security duties to after a revolt by lawmakers, who have an- an administrative role. nounced commission of inquiry in both the former top security aide for French Yet he has continued to be seen in Ma- National Assembly and Senate. President Emmanuel Macron was cron’s security details since then, while “If Macron doesn’t explain himself the Be- Abrought before a judge yesterday af- opposition parties accuse the president nalla aff air will become the Macron aff air,” far- ter videos emerged of him striking a young of covering up an assault that should have right leader Marine Le Pen posted on Twitter. man during a demonstration, a scandal been reported to prosecutors. But LREM spokesman Gabriel Attal de- Hot air balloons fly during the Sagrantino International Balloon Challenge Cup near Todi in Umbria region of Italy. which has derailed parliamentary proceed- “Why the devil did he insist on protect- fended the president’s silence, saying that ings as lawmakers press the government for ing a second-rank employee who should if Macron spoke now, “we’d have indignant explanations. have been kicked out of the Elysee months commentators everywhere saying his com- Alexandre Benalla, 26, was fi red Friday ago?” right-wing daily Le Figaro wrote in ments could infl uence the inquiry.” after footage was released of him hitting the an editorial yesterday. Adding to the controversy, Le Monde re- man at least twice as riot police looked on Interior Minister Gerard Collomb is to ported Friday that despite his suspension Hot air balloonists fl ock to while breaking up a May Day protest in Paris. appear before parliament today, with some Benalla was allowed this month to move Benalla, who was wearing a police hel- MPs warning they will demand his resigna- into a palatial mansion along the Seine re- met with visor as well as a police armband, tion if he knew about the incident but did served for Elysee workers. is facing charges of violence by a public of- not say anything. He was also being provided with a car Italy for ‘free, happy’ time fi cial, impersonating a police offi cer and After publishing the fi rst video of the and driver, the paper said. complicity in unauthorised use of surveil- incident last Wednesday, French daily Le Investigators have searched Benalla’s lance footage. Monde posted a second video showing Be- home in the Paris suburb of Issy-Les- AFP reached our target of 90 balloons, balloon — the hare — takes off and Three police offi cers, including two nalla violently wrestling a young woman to Moulineaux, where a city hall offi cial said Todi, Italy and hopefully next year it will be all the rest of the balloons — the high-ranking offi cials, have been suspend- the ground during the scuffl es on a square Benalla was supposed to have gotten mar- 100,” Shaw said. hounds — follow, then try to land ed on suspicion they illegally gave Benalla near the Rue Mouff etard, a picturesque Left ried on Saturday. In addition to 22 teams from close to the hare. video surveillance footage last week so he Bank street. The man and woman seen in the video ozens of hot air balloons around Europe, pilots from the Contestants are equally drawn could try to clear his name. Just days after the May 1 demonstra- have been identifi ed and plan to testify, a dot the skies over Italy’s United States, Russia and Aus- to events on the ground, mainly His associate Vincent Crase, an em- tions, which were marred this year by an- source close to the inquiry said. Dcentral Umbria region as tralia are taking part in the Sa- centred on the region’s cuisine. ployee in Macron’s Republic on the Move archists who clashed with police, Macron The scandal could hardly have come at enthusiasts gather from around grantino International Balloon “Free...happy,” said pilot Mat- (LREM) party who also attended the pro- had tweeted that “everything will be done a worse time for Macron, whose approval the world for two weeks of friend- Challenge Cup. thew Billing when asked how the test, is also facing charges. so that those responsible will be identifi ed ratings fell to a record low of 39% last week, ly competition. “We have many fl yable days in It- event made him feel. The scandal has become the most dam- and held accountable for their actions”. defying analysts’ expectations of a post- The event, which takes the col- aly, whereas in England for instance “It’s always like being home aging for Macron since his election last year In a third video, published by the Media- World Cup bump. ourful craft over the lush vine- we may only have 20 days a year,” again, because I spent a lot of time on pledges to restore transparency and in- part investigative news site, police offi cers “Macron defenceless,” the Journal du yards of Umbria’s Sagrantino Shaw said. “So everybody comes doing it when I was younger.” tegrity to the nation’s highest offi ce in or- are seen kicking and punching the young Dimanche said in a front-page headline valley, is the brainchild of Ralph willingly to Italy because they...are Another pilot, Tom Hilditch, der to ensure a “republic of responsibility”. man even after he has been immobilised on yesterday over a picture of the president Shaw, of dual Italian and British sure of having a good fl ight.” said he was “born into” hot air In response to the outcry sparked by the the sidewalk. and Benalla. nationality. One of the most popular com- ballooning, recalling how his fa- “We started off with just vefi petitions at such events is the ther built a model balloon with a balloons, and now this year we’ve Hare and Hounds, in which one radio-controlled burner. Dance of Zancos Forest fi res destroy 800 hectares in Latvia

AFP “The main goal is to prevent the ing and no rain is expected for the Riga fi res from spreading,” he added. next two weeks. The fi re services said on its Latvia has experienced severe website that fi refi ghting eff orts drought over the last few months, ires raging for fi ve days have would be “long and troublesome”. prompting authorities to declare a destroyed more than 800 “The weather is unfavourable natural catastrophe in the agricul- Fhectares of western Latvia, to fi refi ghting and will remain so tural sector. The Baltic country has authorities said yesterday, with over the next days,” it said. not yet asked for help from other continuing extreme temperatures The Courland region is sparsely European countries and has no pro- hampering fi refi ghters’ eff orts. populated, with few roads and posals to do so for the time being. Satellite images showed the fi res many areas inaccessible because But other countries in Europe have wiped out 170 acres of for- of its vast marshes. have been in the grip of an unu- est, 257 hectares of scrubland and Residents of Stikli, a village that sually long heatwave for recent nearly 400 hectares of peatland. was evacuated because of the fi re, weeks with little prospect of rain A peat fi re in the Courland re- began to return home after the for the time being. gion broke out last Tuesday and wind changed “of their own ac- In Sweden, where tempera- spread eastwards, with the smoke cord”, the mayor of its municipal- tures are the highest for a century, noticeable in the resort town of ity Ventspils, Aivars Mucenieks, farmers are even sending their an- Jurmala, more than 100km away told reporters. imals to slaughter because there is in the neighbouring Riga region. Pupils of a school for disabled no hay left to feed them. “Peatland fi res burn downward, children in Stikli will not return It has asked for help from other but when there’s wind, which until the situation is fully under European countries, because of brings oxygen, the fi res can erupt control, he added. the lack of manpower and capac- A skirt wearing dancer on stilts performs the whirling Dance of the Zancos in Anguiano, Spain. into fl ames,” said Latvian fi re serv- Meteorologists warned that the ity to tackle such natural catas- ices spokesman Inta Palkavniece. high temperatures are persist- trophes. Thousands swim between continents in famed Istanbul race

By Ozan Kose, AFP Cross-Continental Swim, or- The competitors were taken of the Sea of Marmara to Ku- to traffi c for the duration A team of rescue boats kept a 46-year-old, expressed pride at Istanbul ganised by the Turkish Olympic by one of Istanbul’s famous fer- rucesme on the European of the race, allowing swim- careful eye on the progress of the the fi nish. Committee, for the 30th race ries to the start of the race on side of the city, close to the mers an uninhibited passage swimmers. “The most diffi cult were the since the tradition began in 1989. the Asian side of the city in the first bridge to span the Strait across the waters, which were “The hardest thing is the cur- waves, especially during the last housands of people, some The event is hugely popular, shoreside district of Kalinca. which is now named after the dotted with individual swim- rent,” said swimmer Viktoria 2km. The best thing is being here serious racers but others with only a limited quota for When the race began they victims of the July 15, 2016 mers and the white crests in their Reshetilova, one of many from now!” Tplucky amateurs, swam international swimmers, who moved off the ferry onto a pon- failed coup. wake. Russia, which formed the largest The fastest swimmer was yesterday from Asia to Europe snatched up all their available toon to dive — or for the more The Bosphorus is usually The current pushes swimmers foreign contingent. Turkish Cypriot Dogukan Ulac, across the Bosphorus Strait in places in less than half an hour nervous jump — into the waters thronged with oil tankers, cargo towards their destination, but “The toughest part is not to be who swam the 6.5km in just 46 Istanbul in Turkey’s most iconic after registration opened, organ- of the Bosphorus that divides ships and ferries making it one of good navigation is key because if swept away and miss the fi nish. minutes and 58 seconds. swimming race. isers said. Europe and Asia. the most choked shipping lanes they lose their way the swimmers The best is being part of a move- The fastest woman was Hilal About 2,400 swimmers took Swimmers came from 55 dif- From there it was a tough in the world. risk being swept away and miss- ment.” Zeynep Sarac, who fi nished in 50 part in the Samsung Bosphorus ferent countries. 6.5km swim in the direction But the Strait was closed ing the fi nish. Osman Sirin, a Turkish minutes and 30 seconds. Gulf Times 14 Monday, July 23, 2018 INDIA

PROTEST POLITICS PROPOSAL SECURITY CRIME Students’ hunger strike Kerala’s LDF set ‘Pocso Act amendment Police to have bicycle Exam papers recovered continues for 13th day to be expanded for boy victims soon’ patrols for parks, lanes from scrap dealer

An indefinite hunger strike by students Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) will In an attempt to make gender neutral laws, With serious crimes being reported from parks and Hundreds of missing answer sheets of the Bihar of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital discuss expanding the group by inducting seven the Women and Child Development Ministry narrow lanes in the national capital, the Delhi police School Examination Board (BSEB) Class 12 exam of entered the 13th day yesterday as authorities “friendly allies” at its meeting this week, sources has brought in amendments in the existing have come up with bicycle patrols for quick and 2017 were recovered from a scrap dealer in Patna on appealed to them to withdraw their agitation said. Presently the LDF consists of the Communist Pocso law to cover sexual abuse of the eff ective surveillance of these and other congested Saturday and the dealer arrested, police said. Acting for hostel rooms. Members of civil society Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of boy child and these will be sent for cabinet areas. According to the police, the initiative was on specific information, a police team raided the and student organisations gathered on the India, the Janata Dal-Secular, the Congress-S, and approval very soon, a ministry off icial said. taken as a number of serious crimes such as rape, scrap dealer’s store and recovered the copies that hospital premises to express solidarity with the the Nationalist Congress Party, all of whom have “The Protection of Children from Sexual molestation and murder occurred in diff erent parks went missing last year. Scrap dealer Rajkishore Gupra agitators. The students began their strike on representation in the assembly, and the Kerala Off ences (Pocso) Act has always striven and markets, and off icials felt that bicycles could be was arrested for purchasing them, the police said. July 10 after the authorities at the 183-year-old Congress-Skaria Thomas, which has no lawmaker. to develop gender-neutral laws. While the most optimum mode of transport for spots which According to the police, a peon of the BSEB along with state-run medical college notified that a new The seven allied parties are the National cabinet has already given its nod proposing police vans and bikes cannot access easily. “The others had sold the copies of the answer sheets to the 11-storey hostel building would be allotted to Secular Conference, the Kerala Congress-B, the death sentence for convicts raping girls idea is to improve visibility and mobility to win the scrap dealer. Last month, a Special Investigation Team freshmen only. The college administration Communist Marxist Party-A, the Revolutionary below 12, the same has been proposed for boy trust of citizens and make feel them safe in common of the Bihar police recovered thousands of missing yesterday appealed to the students to Socialist Party-Leninist – all having a legislator victims,” the off icial said. The Law Ministry public places,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil copies of answer sheets of the BSEB Class 10 exam withdraw their strike, saying that additional each, while the Janadhipathya Samrakshana has cleared the amendments to enhance Baaniya said. Citing a case of rape in an east Delhi from another scrap dealer’s shop and arrested two students will be accommodated in the new Samithi-Gowri, the Indian National League punishment in cases of sexual assault against park, he said nine police stations in South District men. That shopkeeper said peon Chotu Singh of a hostel building subject to approval from higher and Kerala Congress-Democratic are currently young boys and it will be sent to the cabinet have a number of parks where people of all age government-run school had sold the answer sheets to authorities. unrepresented in the assembly. in the next two-three days, the off icial added. groups come from early morning to late evening. him for Rs8,500.

One killed in building crash Countdown to Modi exit has begun, says Sonia

Members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conduct a rescue operation after a four-storey building under construction IANS perience and energy and was a the Congress leadership will ex- collapsed in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh yesterday. One person was killed and eight were injured, off icials said. Locals said the building New Delhi bridge between the past, present pect from its leaders and workers was a shelter for labourers since it was yet to be completed. and future. that they maintain the dignity The CWC authorised Gandhi to of the language as well as that of rime Minister Narendra take a decision on alliances for the conduct,” he added. Modi’s rhetoric shows his 2019 Lok Sabha elections, both Surjewala said that Gehlot, in P“desperation” refl ecting pre- and post-poll. his address, underlined that fi rst that the “reverse countdown” of Party spokesman Randeep this discipline would be expected the government has begun, Unit- Singh Surjewala, who briefed re- from the leaders and then from ed Progressive Alliance (UPA) porters after the CWC meeting, the workers. chairperson Sonia Gandhi said said that the Congress was pre- In the past, certain com- Kerala tops in governance, yesterday. pared for a “larger alliance” to de- ments by some Congress leaders Speaking at a meeting of the feat the BJP-led National Demo- have cost the party dearly with new Congress Working Commit- cratic Alliance in the next general the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tee (CWC), the party’s highest elections. quickly taking advantage of it, decision-making body, Gandhi “The CWC, the party’s highest such as the BJP starting its “chai Karnataka 4th, says report also cautioned about the reign of decision making body, authorised pe charcha” (discussion over tea) despair and fear heaped upon the Gandhi to take appropriate deci- campaign in 2014 Lok Sabha elec- country’s poor. sion for pre- and post-poll alli- tions after Congress leader Mani IANS Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kar- if rudimentary, to assess the ured to derive the PAI, relying The meeting was also attended ances as well as to form a small Shankar Aiyar called Prime Min- Bengaluru nataka and Gujarat followed performance of states in In- solely upon government data. by former prime minister Man- committee for the purpose, if ister Narendra Modi a “chaiwal- Kerala among the top fi ve states dia,” added Kasturirangan, The PAC said it was not keen mohan Singh, who rejected the needed,” Surjewala said. lah” (tea vendor). delivering good governance, ac- the former chairman of Indian to access private data sources culture of constant self-praise He said Gandhi will either in- zRahul Gandhi said he smelled a erala is the best governed cording to the report. Space Research Organisation that may be interpreted as “bi- and ‘jumlas’ of Modi. volve himself or his senior col- scam in the Rafale deal, claiming state in the country and Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand (ISRO). ased”. This, Singh said, stood against leagues in states where such alli- Modi “squirmed” when questions KKarnataka is in the fourth and Bihar ranked the lowest on The think tank has under- This year’s PAI also included a the solid policy framework neces- ances are needed. over the price of the fi ghter planes position, according to the Pub- the PAI, indicating higher social taken the study across all Indian separate index on the children of sary for growth. Meanwhile, in a clear warning were raised in parliament. lic Aff airs Index 2018 released and economic inequalities in the states considering them across India, giving a measure of how Singh said that the claim of to some of its “loose cannons”, the “The PM squirms when asked by the think tank Public Aff airs states. 10 themes such as essential in- child-friendly each of the states doubling farm income by 2022 Congress stressed that it expected about the price of Rafale and Centre (PAC). Among the smaller states frastructure, support to human is. would require an agricultural its leaders and workers to “toe the refuses to look me in the eye. “Kerala has topped the Pub- (with population less than development, social protection, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh growth rate of 14%, which was party line” on larger political is- Sure smells like a scam,” Gandhi lic Aff airs Index (PAI) for 2018 20mn), Himachal Pradesh women and children as well as and Mizoram topped the index nowhere in sight. sues in their public interactions. tweeted. as the best governed state for topped the list, followed by Goa, law and order. on being the states to provide Gandhi and Singh are the sen- Party president Rahul Gan- He also took a dig at Defence the third consecutive year since Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura “The index provides a mul- better living conditions for all ior members of the new CWC that dhi and general secretary Ashok Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for 2016 among large states,” the which fi gured among the top ti-dimensional and compre- children. will form the core team of the par- Gehlot emphasised in their re- “fl ip fl ops” on revealing details of Bengaluru-based PAC said on fi ve states with good govern- hensive matrix that attempts The former chairperson of the ty for state elections this year and spective addresses that party the deal. Saturday. ance. to capture the complexities of National Commission for Pro- next year’s Lok Sabha polls. leaders and workers should ob- During a debate on no-con- Released annually since 2016, Nagaland, Manipur and Meg- governing the plural and diverse tection of Child Rights, Shantha Congress president Rahul serve discipline. fi dence motion in Lok Sabha the index examines govern- halaya were ranked at the bot- people of this sub-continent,” Sinha, who was present on the Gandhi, chairing the fi rst meet- “The Congress president on Friday, Gandhi had said that ance performance in the states tom of the index among the added Senior Fellow at PAC C K occasion, delivered the Samuel ing of the new CWC, accused clearly said he gave a friendly ad- French president had told him through a data-based frame- small states. Mathew. Paul Memorial Lecture, drawing the Bharatiya Janata Party of op- vice and he hopes that all leaders personally that there was no se- work, ranking them on social As a young country with The states were divided into attention to children’s rights in pressing the poor and Dalits and of Congress Party in view of the cret pact between the two gov- and economic development growing population, India two categories – large and small the country. urged party workers to fi ght for larger goal, that is, 2019 elections, ernments while Sitharaman said they are able to provide. needs to assess and address its – on the basis of their popu- “Children growing up in pov- India’s poor. will maintain discipline in both there was. Founded in 1994 by renowned developmental challenges, PAC lation. States with more than erty cannot be blamed for their Describing the Congress as the their language and conduct,” Sur- “Our Defence Minister said Indian economist and scholar chairman K Kasturirangan said. 20mn population were consid- situation and it is the state’s re- “voice of India”, Gandhi said the jewala said. she would, but now she won’t. late Samuel Paul, the think tank “The PAI 2018 is one exam- ered large. sponsibility to ensure that they party had a responsibility towards “There is full freedom of ex- She fl ip fl ops between ‘it’s-not- works to mobilise a demand for ple of a data-based framework A total of 30 focus subjects are provided with opportunities the present and the future. pression but as far as party line a-secret’ & ‘it’s-a-BIG-secret’,” better governance in the country. that provides some basis, even and 100 indicators were meas- for a better living,” Sinha said. He said the CWC had the ex- (on various issues) is concerned, Gandhi said.

Wedding reception Outrage after Kerala author US regulator fi nds DGCA audit ‘very satisfactory’ forced to withdraw novel IANS regulations, including ex- New Delhi tensive technical guidance, in the areas of operations, By Ashraf Padanna weekly, Hareesh said he could no Tamil Nadu who had to withdraw airworthiness, surveillance Thiruvananthapuram longer hold on against the threats his book One Part Woman and ndia’s civil aviation regu- and enforcement for the use on social media and phone against declare “Perumal Murugan the lator said yesterday that of DGCA’s safety inspectors him and his family. writer is dead.” Ithe US Federal Aviation for carrying out licensing, yber bullies forcing an Mathrubhumi weekly editor “The Sangh Parivar wound not Administration (FAA) has certification, and approval award-winning writer to Kamaram Sajeev said three parts mind eliminating those whom conducted its audit in the obligations along with cer- Cwithdraw his novel being had already appeared before he re- they don’t like. But it’s dangerous areas covering aircraft opera- tification records, the state- serialised in a Malayalam magazine ceived the message. Hareesh said such forces could wield infl uence tions, airworthiness and per- ment said. has triggered widespread outrage. most of the people who abused in Kerala which boast of an en- sonnel licensing and termed “The training programme The Congress-led opposition him on Facebook had fake IDs. lightened society,” Chennithala it “very satisfactory”. provided to the techni- in Kerala asked the state govern- In his novel, Hareesh portrays said in a statement. A Directorate General cal officers and inspectors ment to rein in right-wing at- the life of a Dalit in central Kerala Former chief minister V S of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and records therein was tackers and allow S Hareesh to fi ve decades ago in which a char- Achuthanandan urged Math- statement said that the FAA also shown to the FAA audit continue his novel Meesha in the acter makes some sexist com- rubhumi to continue publication had carried out its audit be- team,” it said. Mathrubhumi weekly. ments on temple-going women. of the novel. Novelist T D Ram- tween July 16 and 20 under “As per FAA’s established “Those who do not believe my Soon he started receiving akrishnan said it was a tragic day its International Aviation process, a written report warnings about the emergence of threats. Though he complained for Malayalam literature that a Safety Assessment pro- will be provided within next a Hindutva Taliban might learn with the State Women’s Commis- writer had to withdraw his work gramme. 30 days and thereafter FAA from what has just happened sion, it did not respond. due to protests and threats. “At the end of the five- team will come for a final to Malayalam writer Hareesh,” Opposition Congress leader “Issuing threats to withdraw a day audit, the FAA team consultation within 65 days tweeted Congress MP and well- Ramesh Chennithala said the in- novel even after the serialisation gave a verbal out-brief list- wherein DGCA shall present known writer Shashi Tharoor. cident was an insult to the entire of three chapters without know- ing the observations which the action taken on the ob- Hareesh’s decision came state and the home department’s ing its theme and plot is really un- relate to regulatory and servations.” soon after the women’s wing of silence was mysterious. fortunate,” he said. guidance material issues Meanwhile, the DGCA is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s He equated the threat to the “Such a way of opposing a novel within DGCA. Overall the commencing action on the Bharatiya Janata Party took out a killing of academic M M Kalbur- is hitherto unheard of in Kerala. It Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his wife Rashmi Thackeray audit has been very satis- observations made by FAA protest march to the weekly’s of- gi and journalist Gauri Lankesh is not through threats, but though attend the wedding reception of Poorna Patel, daughter of Nationalist factory,” it said. team “and is very confident fi ce in Kozhikode. in Karnataka and the silencing debates that those opposing the Congress Party leader Praful Patel in Mumbai on Saturday. The American aviation to address all those within In an e-mail to the editor of the of writer Perumal Murugan in novel should express their views.” regulator’s team was shown the timelines”, it added. Gulf Times Monday, July 23, 2018 15 INDIA India’s fi rst test-tube baby is 32, a mom and a ray of hope

Agencies but they were willing to try any- labour, on August 6, 1986. traditional way, and delivered by my husband’s. But Dr Hinduja “Since the world’s fi rst IVF nancy was tough, telling Harsha Mumbai thing. “I just wanted a baby,” “I still remember it was Dr Hinduja, and doctors across had assured us that the baby was baby was born in 1978, it had that she was an IVF baby was says Mani. 3.30pm,” Dr Hinduja says. “To the country celebrated. ours,” Mani recalls. been a hot topic,” Hinduja says. tougher, Mani says. “I fi gured The clinical trial was free, be safe, we chose to do a C-sec- “It was proof that IVF babies Hinduja says she was nine “I had friends who were junior it out,” says Harsha, 32. “Every r Indira Hinduja had at- which was good because the tion.” lead a normal life,” Hinduja says. when she fi rst realised she want- scientists at the institute and year the media would come to tempted IVF with 17 cou- couple wasn’t earning much; Dr Hinduja had roped in a “To watch Harsha grow up, mar- ed to be a doctor. She had broken were doing IVF experiments on take photographs of me on my Dples before she met the they had to borrow money to pay trusted peer, the late Dr Kusum ry… she now has two children, a a bone, been admitted to hos- animals. It was all very exciting.” birthday. I’d hear them refer to Chawdas. Mani Chawda, then for the hormone injections. Zaveri, who was practising at J J boy and a girl. The whole experi- pital, and was mesmerised by When the Chawdas’ embryo me as a test-tube baby.” 24, was a part-time teacher; her And then, suddenly, they Hospital back then, to assist “in ence has been incredible and I’m those in lab coats who seemed to was born in its petri dish, Dr Hinduja has helped over husband, Shyam, a Mumbai mu- had made medical history. The case my hands started to shake”. grateful to God that I was part of have all the answers. Hinduja couldn’t believe it had 15,000 couples with IVF treat- nicipal worker. They had been Chawdas found success on the Baby Harsha, India’s fi rst IVF it.” By age 32, she was an MD, fi nally worked. If they were re- ment so far. She is also a pioneer trying to have a baby for four fi rst attempt, had a regulation success, was born a few hours “There were all sorts of com- pursuing a PhD in IVF research ally careful, and really lucky, in GIFT (Gamete Intrafallopian years. pregnancy, and arrived at the later. Thirty years on, the little ments. Some said the baby via the National Institute for Re- they were going to go down in Transfer) treatments in India, They didn’t understand the colonial King Edward Memorial group made history again. Har- would be born with four hands; search in Reproductive Health in the record books. where the egg is fertilised within details of in vitro fertilisation, Hospital in central Mumbai, in sha had a baby, conceived the others wondered if it was even Mumbai. If dealing with an IVF preg- the fallopian tube. Alwar lynching victim was sole breadwinner, says his family

Agencies dairy in the village with 10 Jaipur more cows. He had taken a loan from his in-laws and friends to buy two cows on Friday. man who was beaten to His body was brought to the death on Friday on sus- village by the Mewat police af- Apicion of being a cow ter a postmortem on Saturday. smuggler in Rajasthan was the He lived in the village with sole breadwinner of his family, his wife, seven children and his relatives said. parents. Hailing from Haryana’s Villagers said his wife, Mewat district, Rakbar Khan Asmina Khan, 30, lost con- had gone to Lalavandi village sciousness on hearing about in Rajasthan’s Alwar district the attack. Later, Asmina said with his friend Aslam Khan the family owned three cows to buy two cows to expand his and did its best to care for milk supply business, his fam- them. They supplied milk to ily said. the dairy owners in the area. Aslam, who returned to “How can I lead a life without Kolgaon village in Mewat dis- my husband? I have four son trict on Saturday morning, and three daughters,” she said. said he hid in the fi elds taking She said she was planning to advantage of the night while a cook biryani for him on Satur- crowd attacked Rakbar. day because it was his favour- “We left our village around ite food but before she could A woman carrying her son arrives to check her name on the draft list of the National Register of Citizens at an NRC centre in Chandamari village in Goalpara district of Assam. 5pm on Friday and reached even start preparations, news Lalavandi village at night. We of his death reached her. had gone on Rakbar’s motor- Rakbar Khan’s brother Ak- cycle. He had asked me to ac- bar, who teaches in a village company him to Rajasthan as mosque and lives separately, he wanted to buy two cows. demanded compensation for They had two calves also,” Asmina. “The government Khan said. should provide a job to my He said they had bought the sister-in-law on compensa- Rajnath allays fears cows for Rs60,000 from one of tory grounds and should pro- the villagers there and Rakbar vide fi nancial assistance to the was walking the cows while family,” he added. he was riding the motorcycle The family members denied alongside when they heard the allegations that Rakbar Khan gunshots. was smuggling cattle. They “Some started shouting that said he had borrowed Rs50,000 over Assam citizen list we were trying to steal cows. from his mother-in-law and They rushed towards us. I got the rest from friends. “We keep Agencies Home Minister Rajnath Singh The exercise has created and that there was no reason Hundreds of people were scared and ran towards the these cows and make some New Delhi said in a statement. panic among many Muslims in for panic. killed in the 1980s in a violent fi eld. Rakbar was holding the money from their milk. We al- “Any person who is not Assam because Prime Minister The minister said the NRC protest by a native Assamese cows then,” Khan said. He said ready have three. Why will Rak- satisfied with the outcome Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Ja- is being updated in accordance group. he could not recognise any of bar steal anyone’s cow,” Asmina ndia said yesterday people of claims and objections can nata Party which came to pow- with the Assam Accord signed Hundreds of thousands of the attackers because of the said. “Had he indulged in illegal whose names are missing appeal in the Foreigner’s Tri- er in the state for the first time on August 15, 1985, and that the people fled to India from Bang- darkness, but could recog- transport of cattle, he could Ifrom a list of citizens to be bunal. Thus, there is no ques- in 2016, vowed during the elec- entire process is as per the di- ladesh after it declared inde- nise their voices as they were have built a nice house and we issued by Assam this month will tion of anyone being put in tion campaign to act against il- rections of the Supreme Court, pendence from Pakistan in “abusing us very loudly”. would not be living in this small not be detained, amid concerns a detention centre after the legal Muslim immigrants from which is constantly monitoring 1971, setting off a nine-month “I remained hidden in the shabby house.” that Muslims will be targeted publication of NRC (national Bangladesh. the process. civil war. fi eld until Saturday morning. Meanwhile, the victim’s fa- under the guise of detecting il- register of citizens).” Rights activists say the The court on July 2 extended Most of them settled in As- Then I came out and took a ther Sulaiman Mev rejected legal immigrants from Bangla- For an update of the NRC to be drive is also targeting Mus- its June 30 deadline by a month sam and the neighbouring state lift to reach my village. I had claims that his son was a cow desh. made public on July 30, all resi- lims who are Indian citizens, due to fl oods. of West Bengal, where there are a narrow escape,” he said. He smuggler. “He left home on “We will ensure that every dents of Assam in the northeast a charge the government de- Citizenship and illegal migra- similar demands to send back il- reached Kolgaon around 5am. Friday morning saying he was individual gets justice and is have had to show documents nies. tion are volatile issues in tea- legal Muslim immigrants. It’s the last village in Mewat going to take goats for grazing. treated in a humane manner. All proving they or their fami- Singh also said Assam had growing and oil-rich Assam, The migrants include many before Rajasthan. This morning, I was told that individuals will have suffi cient lies lived in the country before been asked to step up secu- home to more than 32mn people, Hindus, but Modi’s government Rakbar’s family members he has been killed,” the father opportunity for all remedies March 24, 1971, to be recognised rity so no one was harassed about a third of whom are Mus- has said they can apply for In- said he wanted to start his own said. available under the law,” federal as Indian citizens. in the name of citizenship, lims. dian citizenship.

Soldier’s remains found Three militants shot 50 years after plane crash dead in Kashmir Agencies gam early in the morning after Agencies 5,500m in India’s inhospi- A total of 102 people died in Srinagar getting credible inputs about Shimla table Himalayan mountain the crash, including 98 sol- the presence of the militants in a range. diers. cluster of houses. “We did not touch anything, The plane was on en route to t least three militants “As the security forces ad- he frozen body of an but took pictures and made a an airport in Kashmir but was were shot dead in Jammu vanced, the hidden terrorists Indian soldier has been video and forwarded them to unable to land in bad weather Aand Kashmir yesterday in fi red, resulting in a brief en- Tfound on a Himalayan the army authorities,” he said. and lost contact over the Spiti a gun battle between militants counter in which the three ter- glacier, a mountaineering Asked what made them con- valley in Himachal Pradesh. and security forces, a day after rorists were killed,” police said. team said on Saturday, 50 clude that the wreckage was Throwing light on the pos- a policeman was abducted and They said there was no collat- years after he and more than that of the IAF plane which sible factors behind the discov- killed in the same area. eral damage in the encounter. 100 others died in a military crashed in February 1968 and ery, Rawat said less snowfall in The clash broke out early yes- According to the police the plane crash. the body was that of a soldier, the higher altitudes may be a terday in an area in the southern slain militants were affi liated The team said it also found the mountaineer said they had reason why things buried long district of Kulgam, a few kilome- with the outlawed Lashkar-e- some wreckage from the Indian read about the crash in the area under snow were coming to the tres from where the policeman, Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Muja- Air Force turboprop, a Soviet while preparing for the expedi- surface, he said. who was visiting home on leave, hideen. Union-built Antonov An-12 tion. He said parts of the wreckage was killed on Saturday. >>An accused in an attempted transport plane which crashed “It was confi rmed that the and the bodies must be spread State police chief S P Vaid said murder case escaped from police in February 1968. body belonged to a soldier after over an area of 2- 2.5km. the slain militants were part of lockup in Kashmir’s Reasi dis- “We stumbled upon an arm we saw a bag which is used by The clean-up expedition was the same group that killed the trict after feigning uneasiness, of a human body jutting out of soldiers to carry magazines,” he organised jointly by the Indian policeman. an offi cial said. the ice. The rest of the body can said. Mountaineering Foundation The bodies of the three mili- A sub-inspector has been sus- be seen inside the glacier,” ex- Saturday’s discovery was and the ONGC to collect gar- tants were recovered from the pended for dereliction of duty pedition head Rajiv Rawat said. the fi fth body located from the bage left in high altitudes by scene, Vaid wrote on Twitter. over the incident. Rawat said the team con- crash after decades of extensive tourists and climbers, he said. Police suspected that one of “Rohit Singh, was arrested last tacted the army, which has and largely fruitless search op- Despite heavy snowfall and the militants killed in the en- week along with his brother and since launched an operation to erations. hostile terrain, the surrounding counter was a Pakistani national, one more person in connection retrieve the remains. The next most recent body region is a popular trekking site A man sits in front of a house which was damaged after a gun battle local media reported. with an attempt to murder case The expedition found the was found and identifi ed in for local and foreign mountain- between security forces and militants in Redwani, in south Kashmir’s The security forces launched after an FIR was registered against body at an altitude of around 2013. eers. Kulgam district, yesterday. searches in Redwani area in Kul- them,” a police offi cial said. Gulf Times 16 Monday, July 23, 2018 PAKISTAN Military for probe No pressure from any into judge’s claims against spy agency

Reuters by the armed forces for half its Islamabad 71-year history. quarter: poll panel “In order to safeguard the sanctity and credibility of the Internews Pakistan’s top court yesterday state institutions, honourable Islamabad said it had begun reviewing Supreme Court of Pakistan statements made by a judge has been requested to initiate alleging the country’s spy appropriate process to ejecting the insinua- agencies were influencing ascertain the veracity of the tions as baseless that judicial proceedings, as the allegations and take actions Rthe army would be in powerful military called for an accordingly,” the military said control of the electoral exer- investigation. in a statement. cise, Election Commission of Pakistan’s July 25 general The Supreme Court had earlier Pakistan (ECP) secretary Ba- elections have been hit by issued a statement saying it bar Yaqoob Fateh yesterday accusations of pre-poll rigging had “taken serious notice” of claimed that the ECP had full with ousted prime minister Siddiqui’s speech. powers and was not under Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Siddiqui is being investigated pressure from any quarter. Muslim League – Nawaz for alleged misconduct The ECP had determined rules (PML-N) party accusing the relating to the allocation and of the game, he said while justi- military of influencing the refurbishment of his off icial fying its decision to deploy the judiciary to deny it a second residence. He has denied the army in and outside the polling term. charges. stations. Islamabad High Court judge In March, Siddiqui gave a The army would work strictly Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui accused ruling stating that citizens in accordance with a code of the country’s premier spy who disguised their religious conduct prepared for them, he agency, the Inter-Services aff iliation were guilty of said, adding that the army too Intelligence (ISI), of interfering betraying the state and had declared that they would in legal cases. ordered that anyone applying work on ECP’s directions. “The ISI is fully involved in for government jobs should He said the presiding offi cers trying to manipulate the declare their faith, a move concerned would be in charge of judicial proceedings,” Siddiqui human rights advocates polling stations while the armed Workers sort out ballot boxes before dispatching them to polling stations ahead of general election, at the Election Commission of Pakistan said in a speech to lawyers, termed a blow for the country’s forces and police personnel off ice in Peshawar yesterday. adding the agency had told the persecuted minorities. would assist them. court not to release Sharif and Disqualification of candidates He said it would be for the stations across the country. Yaqoob said the ongoing in- the role of a silent spectator lani’s son, he said, recalling that his daughter Maryam until after is one of the challenges the presiding offi cer to start and He expressed the confi dence stallation of security cameras amid attempts aimed at deny- the matter had been taken up the elections. former ruling PML-N has faced end polling, declare results and that the elections would be at highly sensitive polling sta- ing level-playing fi eld to can- with the authorities concerned. The former premier and his ahead of the elections. Since transmit results to the ECP. held in a free, fair and transpar- tions would be completed before didates. He said the ECP wrote “The chief election commis- daughter, both facing lengthy Sharif was ousted by the He said district returning of- ent manner in accordance with July 25. two letters to the caretaker Pun- sioner had written a letter to the prison terms on corruption Supreme Court last year, four fi cers (DROs) and returning of- the constitutional mandate of While describing the 8,300 jab chief minister over the re- National Accountability Bureau charges, were arrested minutes party candidates have been fi cers (ROs) had been drawn the ECP. short message service for voters’ cent crackdown against PML-N chairman.” after landing in the country on barred from contesting the from the judiciary and the poll- On the day of polling, he said, the information as a great success, workers. He announced that on the July 13 as they returned in a elections. ing staff had been taken from result transmission system (RTS) the ECP secretary told reporters He said the ECP had also in- recommendation of the inte- bid to revitalise their flagging On Saturday a Pakistani anti- amongst federal and provincial would be functional. The results that over 7mn people had used tervened when Bilawal Bhutto- rior ministry, the ECP had sum- party ahead of Wednesday’s narcotics court jailed for life government employees. received through the RTS would this service in past three days. Zardari’s caravan was stopped in moned three Milli Muslim League elections. Hanif Abbasi, an aide of Sharif, He said a total of 800,000 be shared with the nation through The ECP was completely Punjab. (MML) candidates, whose names Public criticism of the military for misuse of a drug-making security personnel including Pakistan Television, he added. impartial, he added. Besides, the ECP took immedi- were on the UN watch list, and by senior off icials is rare in chemical, a government those from the army and police He said all institutions were He also dispelled the impres- ate notice of the fi ring on former asked them to clear their position Pakistan, which has been ruled prosecutor said. would be deployed at polling co-operating with the ECP. sion that the ECP was playing prime minister Yusuf Raza Gi- before the commission. PML-N candidate gets PTI candidate killed in bombing

Reuters life term in drug case Dera Ismail Khan candidate from the Reuters The seven acquitted include party of Pakistan prime Islamabad the son of another former Aministerial hopeful prime minister, Yusuf Raza and former cricket star Imran Gilani. Khan was killed yesterday in a Pakistani anti-narcotics Sharif, a three-time prime suicide attack that wounded court has jailed for life minister, was removed from of- four others, a police offi cial Aan aide of jailed former fi ce by the Supreme Court last said, days before Wednesday’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif for year, sentenced this month to general elections. misuse of a key drug-making 10 years in prison for corrup- The attack in the northwest- chemical, a government pros- tion, and arrested upon his ern province of Khyber Pa- ecutor said three days ahead of a return home from London on khtunkhwa follows a series of divisive general election. July 13. bombings at political rallies be- Saturday’s conviction takes His brother Shehbaz, fore the election, the most dev- the aide, Hanif Abbasi, out who has taken the reins as astating of which was a suicide of the race, the latest blow party president, said the attack this month that killed 149 to Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim Hanif Abbasi, a nominated court ruling, delivered an people. League – Nawaz (PML-N) candidate of Pakistan Muslim hour before midnight, was Yesterday’s attack targeted party, which accuses Pakistan’s League – Nawaz (PML-N) party “discriminatory”. the vehicle of Ikramullah Gan- powerful military of infl uenc- for upcoming election, is seen Sharif’s past fi ve years in dapur, a candidate of the Pa- ing the judiciary to deny it a in Islamabad. government have been char- kistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Rescue workers move the body of Ikramullah Gandapur, a candidate of the PTI, who was killed in a suicide attack second term. acterised by discord with the or Pakistan Justice Movement, in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, outside hospital morgue in Dera Ismail Khan, yesterday. Private television channel of the chemical ephedrine, military, which has ruled Paki- for the provisional legislative 92 News broadcast images of used to make methampheta- stan for nearly half its 71-year assembly in the city of Dera Is- Gandapur had been informed responsibility for the attack, vincial law minister, was killed in police and paramilitary troops mines, prosecutor Mustafa history. mail Khan, after he was leaving about serious threats to his life a spokesman for the militant a suicide attack on his home. arresting Abbasi at the court, Satti told the channel. His arrest has shaken up a political meeting, two police and been provided with 11 po- group said. There are two main contend- amid a protest by workers of his “Our anti-narcotics court an election campaign riven offi cials said. licemen, but he did not inform Video images from the scene ers among the dozens of parties PML-N party, who broke some announced today that the by accusations the military “Ikramullah Gandapur has the police about his political showed three bleeding and un- in the election fray: PTI and the courthouse windows. charges against Hanif abbasi is working to skew the con- been killed and we are conduct- meeting yesterday, Afridi said. conscious passengers inside Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, In a case dating from 2010, were proved,” Satti said. “He test in favour of his main op- ing a post-mortem,” said police Two policemen who were a badly damaged black sports which aims to win a second term Abbasi was accused of selling is sentenced to life in prison, ponent Imran Khan, who de- offi cial Zaheer Afridi, adding with Gandapur were among the utility vehicle. despite the jailing of its founder, in the drug market 500kg (1,102 while the other seven accused scribes Sharif as a “criminal” that 10kg (22 pounds) of explo- injured. In 2013, Gandapur’s brother, former prime minister Nawaz lb) of a misappropriated quota have been acquitted.” deserving no support. sives had been used in the attack. The Pakistani Taliban claimed Israrullah, who was then the pro- Sharif, for graft.

A battery of fl amboyant election candidates Ex-cricketers turn to AFP Motiwala has chosen the wa- was shot dead, and weeks after over heavy-handedness against ple aware with my funny style,” Islamabad ter tap as his election symbol. an bomb attack killed over 20 local civilians during the fi ght he said. support Imran Khan Water is a highly charged is- people at an election rally in the with insurgents. His slogan? “Need-based cor- sue, with experts saying Pakistan provincial capital. “I am contesting elections at ruption”. If elected, Shahzada AFP one of the country’s top trend- here is the ecologist, the faces “absolute scarcity” - less If elected, Tony has vowed to the demands of my people,” said vows to be “semi-corrupt”. Islamabad ing hashtags as celebrities “semi-corrupt”, the oppor- than 500 cubic metres available serve all communities equally, Wazir in an online video. “I will That is opposed to the “full- and former cricketers came to Ttunist, and the indestructible. per person nationwide - by 2025. but is still wary of simmering struggle for their rights.” corrupt” politicians currently in Khan’s support. Alongside Pakistan’s mainstream “Vote for me - but even if you threats. Nawab Amber Shahzada, 41 power, he says. ormer Pakistani cricket Former Australian star Dean politicians a battery of fl amboyant don’t - please remember that “We are vulnerable targets,” times defeated - Shahzada’s Mir Abdul Karim Nousher- stars have come out in Jones also lent his support. candidates are contesting nation- clean water is the need of hour,” Tony says. “We are campaigning moustache is surmounted by sun- wani, the weather vane - Op- Fsupport of cricketer- “I am not a political per- wide elections on July 25. Motiwala tells voters. in an atmosphere of fear.” glasses and a garnet headdress, portunism is his ideology. Since turned-politician Imran Khan son... but @ImranKhanPTI I Here are fi ve who each em- Radesh Singh Tony, the brave Ali Wazir, the indestructible - while a thin red scarf adorns the 1985, Abdul Karim Nousherwani as the country prepares to go would have loved to play un- body the myriad challenges - Radesh Singh Tony is the fi rst Hailing from militancy-wracked neck of a candidate seeking to be of southern Balochistan, Paki- to the polls on Wednesday. der.... great leader and would facing the country. independent candidate from South Waziristan, Ali Wazir’s the “king of politics”. stan’s poorest and most unstable “It was in your leadership do well for Pakistan if given the Ayaz Memon Motiwala, Pakistan’s Sikh minority to run losses in the country’s long war But Shahzada is a lonely king province, has changed party sev- skip @ImrankhanPTI that we opportunity,” he tweeted. the ecologist - To make his in conservative, northwestern with insurgents are horrifying. at the head of a party of which he en times and been elected twice became world champions in Imran Khan was catapulted point, Ayaz Memon Motiwala Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Wazir has had 10 relatives is the only member, who in the as an independent. 1992. It is in your leadership to global fame as a World Cup campaigns from the gutters. The odds are already heav- killed by militants, who have last 32 years has competed in 41 This time he will compete for that we can again become a cricket champion, but the man Running as an independent in ily stacked against Tony in a con- also destroyed his home, or- elections, and never won one. the Balochistan Awami Party, a great democratic country,” known in the West as a celebrity Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi, stituency populated with around chards and petrol station since In 1990 his party was refused provincial organisation. tweeted Wasim Akram. playboy is now seeking to lead Motiwala prefers to get his anti- 130,000 mostly Muslim registered the military fi rst took the fi ght to registration when he vowed to By aligning with the ruling “You have got what it takes Pakistan as a populist, devout corruption, pro-environment voters, compared to just 160 Sikhs. the Pakistani Taliban more than provide Pakistanis with residen- parties that he gets development Skipper @ImranKhanPTI but and anti-corruption reformist. message out as he lies in pools of His two opponents come from a decade ago. tial plots on the moon. projects for his territory, he says. it will take everything you Khan’s chances of becoming sewage - all while draped in Pa- parties backed by hardline reli- But he has never backed down. In 2013 he won just seven “The moment he feels the have... No one can doubt your prime minister on July 25 are kistan’s green and white fl ag. gious organisations with links to As a rare vocal critic of both votes. power ship is sinking, he will honesty and thats what is re- believed to be his best since en- “If they do not cover the gut- militant groups. the Taliban and Pakistan’s pow- But he says it’s all satire. be the fi rst to jump out for an- quire in our country...An hon- tering politics two decades ago. ters then this is my right to sit The contest comes just erful security establishment, “Politicians are making us other ship,” says another par- est LEADER,” tweeted former Recent polls show inside the gutter and protest,” months after local Sikh com- Wazir has risen to prominence fools, they are misleading the liamentarian, on condition of captain Waqar Younis. PTI’s popularity climbing says Motiwala. munity leader Charanjeet Singh for taking the military to task public, and I try to make peo- anonymity. BehindYouSkipper became nationally. Gulf Times Monday, July 23, 2018 17 PHILIPPINES

LAW AND ORDER CRIME DEMAND TRAVEL POLICY 24 Western Visayas Police off icer linked Senator calls for integrated 2,000 modern jeepneys Govt to allot P50bn police chiefs sacked to drugs killed in raid jail, prison management to ply Metro Manila routes for war-torn areas

Twenty-four police chiefs in Western Visayas have A police off icer allegedly involved in illegal Detained senator Leila de Lima wants to integrate A total of 2,000 modernised jeepneys are The proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) been removed from their posts for their weak drug trade was killed in an armed encounter the management of the country’s jail and prison expected to ply routes in Metro Manila by mandates the national government to allot P50bn performance in the campaign against illegal in Paluan, Occidental Mindoro, an off icial said. facilities under one agency to provide better year-end as the government finally rolls out special development fund (SDF) to rehabilitate drugs in the region. Four of those sacked were Senior inspector Ferdinand Bea of Paluan rehabilitation programmes for all detainees and its transportation modernisation programme, areas aff ected by armed conflict between from Negros Occidental. Senior inspector Aireen identified the suspect as PO3 Marco Hashim prisoners. The senator has filed Senate Bill (SB) transportation undersecretary Thomas Orbos the military and Muslim rebels, according to Cordova, public information off icer of the Negros Alegre, 39, a resident of Barangay Marikit. During 1879, which seeks to institute a unified corrections said. The department of transportation (DOTr) senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. The chairman of the Occidental Provincial Police Off ice (NOCPPO), the raid by the counterintelligence task force and jail management system in the country. At on Friday dispatched around 200 jeepneys senate contingent in the bicameral conference said chief inspector Reuben Pajarito was removed (CITF), the decoy buyer was able to buy “drugs” present, the prisons and penal farms are under to operators with franchises validated committee that approved the final draft of BOL from Isabela Municipal Police Station on Thursday worth P1,000 from the suspect who, sensing his the Bureau of Corrections under the department by the Land Transportation Franchising said the P50bn SDF is one of the highlights of at the request of mayor Joselito Malabor. Pajarito impending arrest, immediately drew his firearm of justice. On the other hand, the provincial and Regulatory Board, following earlier the proposed law. “A special development fund was replaced by chief inspector Gary Alan and fired at the operatives. Shooting back, jails are under the provincial governments and deployments in Tacloban, Leyte, and Pasay. shall be provided by the national government Resuma, who has already served in the Cauayan the lawmen fatally wounded Alegre who was the district, city and municipal jails under the The units will operate on various routes in for conflict-aff ected communities. P5bn shall be Municipal Police Station for two years. He was brought to the nearest hospital but was declared bureau of jail management and penology of the Metro Manila. Orbos said operators may released annually, for 10 years, starting upon the transferred to the provincial headquarters. dead on arrival by an attending physician. department of the interior and local government. increase fares if they want to. ratification of the BOL,” Zubiri said. Tackle peace and high prices Duterte urged ahead of SONA

By Manila Times ways to mitigate the impact of Manila infl ation, he said. Drilon said Duterte, at the very least, could ask Congress awmakers, businessmen to sit down and take a second and civil society want look at the Train to fi nd out what LPresident Rodrigo Duterte went wrong. to focus on urgent matters like Gatchalian warned that if the rising prices, the spate of kill- government would not be able to ings, improved healthcare and address rising infl ation immedi- a better climate for doing busi- ately, the 10-year momentum of ness, when he delivers his third the government in reducing pov- State of the Nation Address erty could be reversed. (SONA) today afternoon. Gatchalian said the senate Duterte is expected to high- economic aff airs committee, light some of the successes of which he leads, was ready to rec- his government as he reaches the ommend the suspension of the middle of his six-year term of second round of excise tax hikes offi ce, in the context of the an- under Train, should the value of nounced SONA 2018 theme of peso continue to plummet. the president as the “father of Under the Train Law, an ad- the nation.” ditional excise tax of P2.50 per A man paddles a makeshift boat made of insulation from a refrigerator through a flooded street due to continuous rains caused by tropical depression Josie in Marikina, On the eve of the president’s litre will be imposed on diesel east of Manila. speech, Malacanan Palace re- and bunker fuel starting January leased a 68-page report detailing 2019 and P1.50 in 2020. The ex- the Duterte administration’s ac- cise tax on gasoline will increase complishments for the past two to P9.00 in 2019 and to P10.00 in years. 2020. Tracking by The Manila Times Senator Nancy Binay said Du- meanwhile showed that Du- terte should accord “gut” issues terte fulfi lled seven of 28 prom- the same level of priority as his ises made in his SONA last year, war on illegal drugs. Death toll in heavy rains while action was ongoing on half “I hope the president focuses of the to-do list. on addressing issues that are Apart from the accomplish- close to the gut like control- ments of his administration, ling infl ation, jobs creation, and senators from both the major- more aff ordable goods. More ity and minority blocs expect jobs, less jabs,” said Binay. Duterte to discuss his govern- Drilon also wants to hear Du- rises to six, alert issued ment’s plan in addressing rising terte come up with more con- infl ation and the peace and order crete plans to bring back law and Agencies when a landslide buried their during a landslide on Wednes- up to 75kph, was expected to Batangas, and Bataan because situation. order in the country. Manila house while they were sleeping day, the national disaster risk move out of the country by to- of heavy monsoon rains en- Senate minority leader Fran- The senate minority leader in the town of Barbaza, about management council said. day. hanced by tropical depression klin Drilon and senator Sherwin noted that 16mn Filipinos voted 400kms south of Manila, po- A 43-year-old man was Some of the aff ected areas “Josie” as it moved towards Gatchalian said the president for Duterte because of his prom- t least six people were lice said. swept away by a strong current have suspended school classes the Philippine Sea yesterday, should talk about measures to ise to eliminate illegal drugs and killed in landslides and The victims’ mother was in- as he crossed a river in the cen- and work in government offi ces the state-run weather bureau address poverty and the rising crimes in six months. Aother accidents in the jured in the landslide, a police tral province of Negros Oriental today amid warnings from the said. prices of goods and services. “So for me, the president in Philippines following a week of report said. on July 15, it added. weather bureau of more rain. The Philippine Atmospheric “The 5.2% rise in infl ation in his third SONA, I would like to heavy rains brought about by On Friday, two brothers, aged Three tropical cyclones have The Philippines is hit by an Geophysical and Astronomical June is something the adminis- hear what are the measures of his three tropical cyclones, offi cials 11 and 12, were killed when a been dumping heavy rains on average of 20 cyclones every Services Administration (Pa- tration needs to focus on. We like administration to bring back law said yesterday. portion of their house was bur- a wide area of the Philippines year, causing fl oods, landslides gasa) said this meant fl ooding to hear what the administration and order,” Drilon added. More than 229,000 peo- ied in thick mountain soil after since July 15, starting with and othera accidents. was expected in these prov- intends to do on this,” Drilon said Gatchalian agreed, saying: ple have been displaced by the a landslide in the town of Agoo storm Son-Tinh, followed by The strongest typhoon hit the inces. An “orange” alert is up in a radio interview. “People still want to see if the fl oods, mostly in nine northern in the northern province of La storm Ampil and a tropical de- country in November 2013, kill- in Metro Manila, Zambales and While there were a lot of fac- peace and order reforms intro- provinces, according to the na- Union, police said. pression locally called Josie. ing more than 6,300 people. Laguna, which means fl oods are tors that led to the rising prices duced by the government were tional disaster risk management In the town of Bontoc in The weather bureau said Typhoon Haiyan also dis- a threat to these areas. of goods, a review of the Tax Re- sustainable and if the big per- council. Mountain Province, a 54-year- Josie, which was packing placed more than 4mn people. Rizal is under yellow alert, form for Acceleration and Inclu- sonalities involved have been put Two children, aged three old woman died when a pass- maximum sustained winds of Meanwhile a “red” rain- which means fl ooding is possi- sion (Train) Law could help fi nd to jail,” he added. and six, were killed yesterday ing van was hit by a boulder 60kms per hour and gusts of fall alert was raised in Cavite, ble in low-lying areas. More Pinoys now claim China ‘appeasement policy not working’

By Manila Times Philippines has exclusive eco- Manila nomic rights over reefs and wa- to be poor, says survey ters that lie within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone in the enate minority leader West Philippine Sea. By Manila Times to 67% in the second quarter. food poverty went up to 45% in Franklin Drilon yesterday The tribunal also declared as Manila The second quarter poverty Mindanao, 23% in Metro Manila Surged the government invalid the nine-dash line claim numbers in the Visayas were and 26% in Balance Luzon. to reassess its “appeasement” of China and ruled that there the highest since the 71% in the The Visayas remained steady policy on China, saying it has was no overlapping entitlement ore Filipino families fourth quarter of 2015. In Metro at 45%. not brought in investments or between the Philippines and still consider them- Manila, self-rated poverty was at For families not to be consid- benefi ts. China. Mselves poor in the sec- 43% in the second quarter, com- ered food poor, a monthly budg- Drilon said compared to Vi- Majority of Filipinos, based ond quarter of 2018, according pared to the 30%in the previous et of P10,000 is needed in Metro etnam that has been very ag- on the surveys conducted by the to the latest Social Weather Sta- quarter. Manila, P5,000 in Balance Lu- gressive in asserting its claims Pulse Asia and Social Weather tions (SWS) survey. The Philippine capital’s sec- zon, P6,000 in the Visayas, and in the South China Sea (SCS), Stations, believe that it was The poll, conducted from June ond quarter poverty numbers P7,000 in Mindanao. the Philippines got fewer for- “important” for the Philippines 27 to 30 among 1,200 adults na- were the highest since the 43% “The values for Metro Manila eign direct investments from to assert its territorial rights tionwide, showed that 48% or in 2014’s last quarter. and the Visayas are record highs China in spite of Manila’s ac- over the contested waters. 11.1mn Filipino families consid- Respondents in Metro Manila in the area,” the polling fi rm said. commodating stance. Drilon expressed the need ered themselves poor. said they need a monthly budget Of the 48% self-rated poor “For me, the appeasement for the government to come up This is six points higher than of P20,000 for them not to be families, 36% said they had al- policy on China has no direct with peaceful and diplomatic the March 2018 survey wherein considered poor. ways been poor. eff ect on the country’s econ- means for the Philippines to 42% or an estimated 9.8mn fam- A monthly budget of P15,000 Of the 12% who transitioned omy,” he said in a radio inter- regain its sovereignty over the ilies rated themselves poor. was needed by those in Balance into poverty, 6% said they used view. islands in the WPS. The SWS said the six-point Luzon, P11,000 in the Visayas, to be non-poor fi ve or more years Citing records, he said Chi- Drilon: seeks change in government stance “We should be more assertive increase resulted from the and P15,000 in Mindanao. ago (“usually poor”), while the nese investment in the country on our claims on these islands,” 18-point self-rated poverty “The SRPT (self-rated pov- other 6% used to be non-poor in 2017 was only $31mn. Beijing whatever the policy of Vietnam hear (from the president) his he added. increase in Mindanao, and erty threshold) for Mindanao, one to four years ago (“newly invested $2.17bn in Vietnam in in terms of their attraction as plans in order for the Philip- The minority leader added 13-point increases in both the Balance Luzon and Metro Ma- poor”). the same year. an investment destination are pines to take back islands that that the senate, through the Visayas and Metro Manila. nila are at record highs,” the SWS The second quarter numbers The senator added that Chi- that ones that prevailed,” Drilon belongs to us, as declared by the initiative of senate president Self-rated poverty in Mind- said. were the same as the 6% of new- nese tourist arrivals in the Phil- pointed out. court,” Drilon said, referring to Vicente Sotto 3rd and foreign anao during the second quarter The same survey also showed ly poor recorded during the fi rst ippines last year — 968,447 — He said Vietnam got more the 2016 ruling of the arbitral relations committee chairman was 60%, the highest since the that 34% or an estimated 7.8mn quarter. was puny compared to the 4mn from China despite its aggres- tribunal on the case fi led by Loren Legarda, could conduct 70% recorded in the third quar- families also rated their food as Of the remaining 52% who Chinese who visited Vietnam. siveness in asserting its claims Manila that questioned China’s hearings and invite experts who ter of 2015. “poor,” which is fi ve points high- consider themselves to be non- “At the end of the day, it in the SCS. maritime claims. could give suggestions what It rose by 13 points in the Visa- er in a quarter-on-quarter basis. poor families, 26% said they had would only mean that the na- “The policy of appeasement The international court de- peace pursuits the country can yas, from 54% in the fi rst quarter In terms of geographical area, never experienced poverty. tional interest of China and is not working and we want to clared on July 12, 2016 that the carry out in the WPS. Gulf Times 18 Monday, July 23, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Rival warplane projects underline Europe’s divisions

Britain’s showy launch of a new fi ghter jet project at the Farnborough Airshow has laid bare political tensions that are threatening to tear Europe apart and deepened scepticism about the future of European defence co-operation. The new UK programme — launched with 2bn pounds ($2.6bn) of seed money just nine months before Britain leaves the European Union — rivals a Franco-German project begun over a year ago that has yet to be funded. France had hoped to work with Britain on the project, bringing together Europe’s two biggest military powers, Economic consequences but turned to Germany after failing to make progress on a Franco-British drone programme. This had got caught up in Britain’s political turmoil, with the government not only at odds with the EU over their future relationship — casting doubt over defence and security co-operation — but also at war with itself. of Trump’s trade war The junior minister responsible for defence procurement became the latest government offi cial to resign this week over Brexit negotiating strategy. By Barry Eichengreen The mystery is why the economic and Other countries that depend on and the number drops below 1%. And Impatient industry executives say Europe must move Berkeley fi nancial fallout from this escalation has exports to the US may conclude that it if growth slows because of the higher quickly, setting aside national employment interests and been so limited. is in their interest to back down. cost of imported intermediate inputs, political divisions, or risk losing out in a global market to The US economy is humming along. In early July, the European the Fed can off set this by raising interest bigger players led by the United States, or even China in the S President Donald Trump’s The Purchasing Managers’ Index was Commission was reportedly rates more slowly. future. phony, blowhard’s trade war up again in June. contemplating a tariff -cutting deal to Foreign central banks can do likewise. “What we want is new developments, new programmes,” just got real. Wall Street has wobbled, but there address Trump’s complaint that the EU Still, one worries, because the taxes American cars at four times the standard economic models are Eric Trappier, head of France’s Dassault Aviation told U The steel and aluminium has been nothing resembling its sharp tariff s that the Trump administration negative reaction to the Smoot-Hawley rate the US taxes European sedans. notoriously bad at capturing the Reuters. “Whether we imposed at the beginning of June were Tariff of 1930. But China shows no willingness to macroeconomic eff ects of uncertainty, “The only way do it with the Germans important mainly for their symbolic Emerging markets have suff ered buckle under US pressure. which trade wars create with a or...the British, we need value, not for their real economic capital outfl ows and currency weakness, Canada, that politest of countries, is vengeance. to survive and facts.” impact. but this is more a consequence of similarly unwilling to be bullied; it has Investment plans are made in Dassault and Airbus While the tariff s signifi ed that the Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes than retaliated with 25% tariff s on $12bn of advance, so it may take, say, a year be economically are leading the Franco- United States was no longer playing by of any announcements emanating from US goods. for the impact of that uncertainty to German programme, the rules of the world trading system, the White House. And the EU would contemplate materialise – as was the case in the viable...is to co- while the UK project will they targeted just $45bn of imports, There are three possible explanations. concessions only if the US off ers some United Kingdom following the 2016 Brexit referendum. be run by BAE Systems, less than 0.25% of GDP in an $18.5tn US First, purchasing managers and stock in return – such as eliminating its operate and do economy. market investors may be betting that prohibitive tariff s on imported light Taxing intermediate inputs will hurt Italy’s Leonardo, engine On July 6, however, an additional 25% sanity will yet prevail. pickup trucks and vans – and only if effi ciency, while shifting resources programmes maker Rolls-Royce and tariff on $34bn of Chinese exports went They may be hoping that Trump’s other exporters like Japan and South away from dynamic high-tech sectors missile maker MBDA. into eff ect, and China retaliated against threats are just bluster, or that the Korea go along. in favour of old-line manufacturing jointly” Industry executives an equivalent volume of US exports. objections of the US Chamber of Third, it could be that the will depress productivity growth, say the two projects An angry Trump has ordered the US Commerce and other business groups macroeconomic effects of even the with further negative implications for could merge after Brexit, but Britain may also forge new trade representative to draw up a list of will ultimately register. full panoply of US tariffs, together investment. alliances, perhaps with Sweden’s Saab, maker of the Gripen additional Chinese goods, worth more But this ignores the fact that Trump’s with foreign retaliation, are relatively And these are outcomes that the Fed fi ghter jet. than $400bn, that could be taxed, and tariff talk is wildly popular with his base. small. cannot easily off set. China again vowed to retaliate. One recent poll found that 66% of Leading models of the US economy, So, for those who observe that It may also look to Boeing, which lost out to Lockheed Trump has also threatened to impose Republican voters backed Trump’s in particular, imply that a 10% increase the economic and fi nancial fallout Martin on the US F-35 warplane contract in 2001, and has tariff s on $350bn worth of imported threatened tariff s against China. in the cost of imported goods will lead from Trump’s trade war has been since teamed up with Saab and Brazil’s Embraer, said Richard motor vehicles and parts. Trump ran in 2016 on a protectionist to a one-time increase in infl ation of surprisingly small, the best response is: Aboulafi a, vice-president at Teal Group, a defence and If he does, the European Union and vow that he would no longer allow other at most 0.7%. This is simply the law of just wait. - Project Syndicate aerospace analysis group. others could retaliate against an equal countries to “take advantage” of the US. iterated fractions at work. Boeing’s defence chief Leanne Caret said her company amount of US exports. His voters expect him to deliver on Imports are 15% of US GDP. zBarry Eichengreen is a professor at the would be “thrilled to be part of that journey”, but Britain and We are now talking about real money: that promise, and he knows it. Multiply 0.15 by 0.10 (the University of California, Berkeley. His its partners must fi rst determine their requirements. nearly $1tn of US imports and an Second, the markets may be betting hypothesised tariff rate), and you get latest book is The Populist Temptation: Given the huge investment required, Leonardo’s chief equivalent amount of US export sales that Trump is right when he says that 1.5%. Allow for some substitution away Economic Grievance and Political strategy offi cer, Giovanni Soccodato said Europe must and foreign investments. trade wars are easy to win. from more expensive imported goods, Reaction in the Modern Era. share out work on sensors, airframe and other parts, instead of building whole jets in four diff erent countries, as done by the Eurofi ghter, Europe’s last big fi ghter development programme. “The only way to survive and be economically viable... is to co-operate and do programmes jointly,” he said. “It’s a schizophrenic approach to be pushing for European defence co-operation, but not wanting to give up national capabilities.” European states have historically opted to safeguard high- paying jobs and national security capabilities, resulting in overcapacity in several markets, including fi ghter jets. France, for instance, was initially part of the Eurofi ghter project in the 1980s, but dropped out to build its own rival Rafale warplane. Its industrial demands make it “inconceivable” that the two rival programmes could be joined, said Aboulafi a. However, competitive pressures should force a more pragmatic outcome this time, Airbus Defence chief Dirk Hoke told Reuters. “We cannot aff ord to continue this fragmentation,” he said.

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Workers at the General Motors Orion Assembly Plant. The European Commission is reportedly contemplating a tariff -cutting deal to address Trump’s complaint that the EU © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved taxes American cars at four times the rate the US taxes European sedans. Gulf Times Monday, July 23, 2018 19 COMMENT ‘HEC Paris in Qatar equipped me with skills to meet my career goals’ Interview with Fawaz Almejlad, HEC Paris in Qatar

awaz Almejlad is a participant competitive and, as a result, there is in the HEC Paris Specialised also a competitive environment in Master’s in Strategic Business my workplace, which is balanced by a FUnit Management (SBUM) strong team philosophy. A Specialised Executive Degree programme 2019, Master’s in Business Unit Management cohort 1. will help give me a competitive In his professional role, Fawaz advantage over my colleagues and is an LNG marketer at Qatargas, a fellow industry professional. Studying major global producer of Liquifi ed for a Specialised Master’s has Natural Gas. Fawaz is responsible for equipped me with necessary skills to establishing and maintaining business take an entrepreneurial approach to relationships with potential clients and leadership, develop and implement LNG buyers. successful strategies and manage Question: Could you please tell change. All of which will enable me to us about your background and effi ciently manage a team. professional experience? Q:What are the skills that the Answer: I graduated from Colorado Specialised Master helped you University in the US, with a degree in improve? take my career. This module gave me learning journey, which I believe all Business Administration in 2013 and A:I have developed and enhanced a better understanding of the market professionals should, you have to make started my career at Qatargas in 2014, a range of skills during my learning movement mechanism, which will help certain sacrifi ces and compromises to in the Marketing Department. journey in the SBUM. Most notably, me to understand why those changes further your career. I had to compromise Q:Why did you choose HEC Paris the classroom lectures in leadership happened. on spending some quality time with my in Qatar? and communication have signifi cantly Q:Words of wisdom/tips for family and used up my annual leave to A:Being in full-time employment, helped to improve my skills in those those participants who will enrol? attend the course. However, it is a small when deciding to further my learning areas and I’m thankful for HEC Paris’ A:HEC Paris will not only will sacrifi ce that I believe will benefi t my journey it was imperative that I found an faculty of global experts. expose you to knowledge, it will give career and personal life. I managed my executive programme with the fl exibility Q:How do you expect to benefi t Fawaz Almejlad an amazing opportunity to build time by estimating how much time I that aff orded me the possibility to work from the HEC Paris Specialised your network. My advice is to get to need to work and study and I tried to and study in tandem. We are extremely Master? with some of the brightest minds in most prestigious companies in Qatar. know your classmates and use their stick to a schedule. I am blessed with a fortunate to have such a world- A:I expect two major outcomes business and learning from world- I believe my participation in the HEC expertise. Also work very hard to family that is very understanding and renowned executive education provider from participation in the Specialised renowned experts, I expect to gain Paris Specialised Master is the best excel in learning and career by paying they are patient. They know that this as HEC Paris in our home country, which Master’s. First, I expect to grow my insights on important subjects that opportunity to meet my career goals. attention and participation. I wish my will be temporary and they are willing to off ers the fl exibility in its executive network through introductions to will give me better understanding of Q:So far what has been HEC Paris fellows all luck and success wait and see me succeed in my education degree programmes that I desired. Given some of the most professional people any business. your favourite module in the in their studies and careers. journey. HEC Paris’ reputation for education in Qatar and through opportunities Q:What are your career plans for programme? Why? Q:How do you manage to keep Q:Any info you would like to excellence it was an obvious choice for aff orded by the renowned HEC Paris the future? A:All the modules in the programme a work/ study/ life balance during add? me. Alumni network, which has the most A:My career goal is to develop a are benefi cial, but I particularly the programme? A:Thank you very much for the Q:Why did you choose to enrol in members in CEO positions than any deep understanding of the oil and gas found the marketing strategy module A:It is not the easiest thing to balance opportunity given for me to express my the Specialised Master in SBUM? other alumni network. Secondly, industry and climb the career ladder fascinating and tremendously useful work, study and family eff ectively. appreciation and share my story with A:The oil and gas sector is extremely networking and knowledge sharing to reach executive level in one of the for my current role and where I want to However, if you want to continue your everyone. Killer farms threaten elephants Three-day forecast

TODAY By Maxwell Gomera trends hold, by 2050 the world’s This is not an impossible goal. would link agricultural and economic arable land will increase by some Over the last 25 years, farmers in support to strict limits on farmland Maximum Temperature : 430c and Edward Mabaya Minimum Temperature : 330c Cambridge 70mn hectares, and much of the more than 20 countries around the expansion. new farmland will be on areas that world improved food security while That is far from being the case TUESDAY are currently forested. The risk is maintaining or increasing forest cover. today. Around the world, billions Maximum Temperature : 430c n April 3, the United greatest in South America and Sub- According to one study, between of dollars are invested annually to Minimum Temperature : 330c Kingdom announced a ban Saharan Africa, where population 1965 and 2004, farmers in developing address environmental degradation WEDNESDAY on the sale of ivory that growth and food demand will hit countries who planted high-quality and poverty; many of the 17 UN Maximum Temperature : 440c Ois “one of the toughest in tropical woodlands particularly seeds were able to reduce farmland Sustainable Development Goals Minimum Temperature : 330c hard. by almost 30mn hectares – an area are linked in some way to these two the world.” By restricting the ivory Fisherman's forecast trade, the UK joined other countries Poverty is at the root of this roughly the size of Italy. These concerns. And yet, most programmes – including China and the United ecological crisis, but poor farming gains could be extended further designed to tackle these issues WARNING if smallholder farmers had access operate in isolation. This is a mistake: Inshore : Strong wind expected States – in using market deterrents practices perpetuate the cycle of at most places and to discourage poaching and shield hunger and habitat loss. In Africa, for to modern equipment, better data solutions to food insecurity and poor visibility at places an endangered species from example, persistently low crop yields collection and analysis, and more habitat loss must be better integrated Offshore : Expected strong wind extinction. As British Environment – often just 20% of global averages fi nancing. if either challenge is ever to be solved. and high seas WEATHER Secretary Michael Gove put it in – are tied to low seed quality, the Critics argue that increasing No one doubts that well-meaning Inshore : Hot daytime with slight the announcement, the goal is unavailability of fertilisers, and a lack the productivity of smallholder policies like ivory bans can lessen dust to blowing dust at to “protect elephants for future of irrigation. As soil health declines farms could backfi re, especially if it the ecological impact of human places at times generations.” and output drops, many farmers see encouraged poor farmers to expand activity. But, at the moment, farming Offshore : Dusty with scattered These are, to be sure, laudable no option but to look for new land to their acreage in the hope of increasing – the activity most responsible for clouds at times gestures in the service of a noble cultivate. profi ts. To avoid this outcome, damaging the health of many species WIND Inshore : Northwesterly 12-22/28 goal. But ending ivory sales alone Fortunately, there is a way to end intensifi cation strategies much be – is failing to attract the policymaking KT will not reverse declines in elephant this vicious cycle. Research shows accompanied by strong conservation attention that it deserves. Until that Offshrore : Northwesterly 12-22/32 populations. In fact, the biggest threat that better farming practices and planning. changes, government strategies KT facing these and many other species technology can increase agricultural At the same time, however, farmers to protect wildlife “for future Visibility : 4-8 KM/ 2 KM is a far more ordinary human pursuit: productivity while reducing habitat in developing countries cannot simply generations” will very likely come up farming. loss and protecting wildlife. This be asked to stop using non-farm short. – Project Syndicate Offshore : 3-7/12 FT at times Throughout the developing approach, known as “sustainable resources adjacent to their fi elds. Many people in poor communities zMaxwell Gomera, a 2018 Aspen world, farmers are expanding areas intensifi cation,” aims to boost the Around the region of cultivation in an endless quest output of existing farmland using rely on woodland products for fuel New Voices fellow, is Director of Weather for fertile soil. In the process, techniques such as integrated crop and construction materials, and the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Weather tomorrow Max/min critical wildlife habitats are management and advanced pest government policies that prohibit use Services Branch at the United Nations today Max/min Sunny 44/29 being destroyed at an alarming control. If applied widely, sustainable of these resources without off ering Environment Program. Edward Baghdad Sunny 43/29 Sunny 44/33 rate. According to the Food and intensifi cation could even reduce the adequate alternatives will likely Mabaya, a 2016 Aspen New Voices Kuwait City Sunny 44/32 Sunny 42/33 Agriculture Organisation of the total amount of land currently under fail. Rather, the ideal conservation fellow, is a senior research associate at Manama Sunny 41/33 Sunny 35/31 United Nations (FAO), if current cultivation. approach in developing countries Cornell University. Muscat M Sunny 36/31 Tehran Sunny 39/28 Sunny 39/28 Live issues Why smog should not be your excuse to skip workouts

By Lisa Rapaport People living in areas with high taking a stroll, associated with a lower experiment designed to prove whether Reuters Health levels of air pollution were 17% more risk of heart attack. or how pollution exposure or exercise likely to have a heart attack during the Among people who already had habits might directly impact heart study than residents of low-pollution a history of heart attack, cycling, attack risk. Another limitation is that Around the world ven when traffi c fumes areas, the study found. And those who gardening and walking were all researchers lacked data on any changes Weather Weather permeate the air, it’s still had a history of heart attack at the associated with a lower risk of a repeat in participants’ exercise habits or today Max/min tomorrow Max/min better for your heart if you start of the study were 39% more likely episode. exposure to air pollution over time. Athens Cloudy 38/25 M Sunny 32/23 Eget outside and exercise than to have a heart attack during follow- It didn’t take much to make a In addition, the study region did not Beirut Sunny 31/27 Sunny 32/28 if you spend all day sitting inside, a up when they lived in high-pollution diff erence, either. include areas with exceptionally high Bangkok S T Storm 32/27 T Storms 32/27 recent study suggests. areas. Compared with people who got pollution levels, so the results cannot Berlin M Sunny 29/17 M Sunny 30/18 While exercise has long been Exercise, however, appeared to help less than a half hour per week of be generalised to those conditions. Cairo Sunny 39/26 Sunny 41/29 linked to a variety of health even when people lived in polluted any physical activity, those who got It’s also important to note that Cape Town M Sunny 22/12 P Cloudy 18/12 benefi ts including a reduced risk of places. Adults who regularly played anywhere from a half hour to four exercising in a place with higher air Colombo S T Storms 29/26 S T Storms 29/25 cardiovascular disease, exposure sports in regions with high levels of hours of exercise were 23% less likely pollution will not be as benefi cial Dhaka T Storms 31/27 T Storm 31/27 to air pollution has been tied to an air pollution, for example, were 21% to have a fi rst heart attack and people as the same physical activity in a Hong Kong T Storms 28/26 T Storms 28/26 increased risk of heart attacks, asthma less likely to have a heart attack than who worked out more than four hours place with cleaner air, said Dr George Istanbul M Sunny 34/23 S T Storms 29/22 and chronic obstructive pulmonary people who were inactive. had 28% lower risk. Thurston, director of the Programme Jakarta M Sunny 34/25 P Cloudy 33/24 disease (COPD), lead study author “Our study shows that physical When researchers looked only at in Human Exposures and Health Karachi P Cloudy 32/28 M Cloudy 32/28 Nadine Kubesch of the University activity even during exposure to air outdoor physical activity, a half hour Eff ects at New York University School London M Cloudy 30/18 M Cloudy 29/18 of Copenhagen in Denmark said in a pollution . . . can reduce the risk to four hours per week was associated of Medicine in New York City. Manila T Storm 28/26 T Storm 29/25 statement. of heart attack,” Kubesch said in a with a 19% lower fi rst heart attack risk “Exercise is good for your heart, Moscow Cloudy 23/17 S T Storms 23/18 For the study, Kubesch and her statement. “Our research supports and more than four hours was linked to irrespective of air pollution, but New Delhi S T Storm 34/28 S T Storm 34/27 colleagues examined data on air existing evidence that even moderate a 24% lower risk. exercising in low pollution is healthier New York T Storms 27/24 S Showers 28/23 pollution exposure, exercise habits, levels of regular physical activity, For repeat heart attacks, outdoor than running in high pollution,” Paris M Sunny 31/19 M Sunny 31/21 and hospitalisations or fatalities related such as active commuting, are exercise also appeared to help: a half Thurston, who wasn’t involved in the Sao Paulo P Cloudy 26/13 P Cloudy 21/14 to heart attacks for 51,868 adults in sufficiently intense to get these hour to four hours of activity was study, said by e-mail. “This caution Seoul P Cloudy 35/26 P Cloudy 35/26 Denmark ages 50 to 65. During an health benefits.” linked to a 45% lower risk of another against exercising in high air pollution Singapore S T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 31/26 average follow-up period of almost 18 The researchers looked at sports, heart attack, and more than four hours is even more important to take heed Sydney Sunny 19/10 Sunny 21/09 years, 3,260 participants, or 6%, had cycling, walking and gardening and cut the risk in half. of if people have a pre-existing Tokyo V Hot 36/28 Clear 36/27 either a fi rst or recurrent heart attack. found all of these activities, except The study wasn’t a controlled respiratory or cardiac condition.” Gulf Times 20 Monday, July 23, 2018 QATAR Aspire Zone Foundation launches its fi rst-ever summer camp for children spire Zone Foundation (AZF) has launched its Afi rst-ever summer camp for children aged between six and 14 years. The event is designed to pro- vide a range of exciting activities for children in Qatar during the summer holiday, AZF has said in a statement. The summer camp off ers chil- dren the opportunity to take part in a variety of sports activities, including football, taekwondo, swimming, gymnastics, aerobics and a number of entertaining games and challenges. AZF is also off ering educa- tional visits and tours of some of the key attractions in Qatar, such as the Tarsheed Park, Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar National Li- brary and Khalifa International Stadium, among others. AZF has also organised a number of lectures and sessions on healthcare and nutrition for those taking part, which are de- livered in multiple languages, including French. The summer camp, which started on July 8 and will con- clude on August 15, runs for four days a week — from Sunday to Wednesday between 8am and 2pm across the Aspire Dome, Ladies Sports Hall and Aspire Park Cinema. So far, 120 children have signed up to participate in the camp. For more information and to keep up with the latest updates, one can visit www.lifeinaspire. qa or Aspire Zone Foundation’s social media channels on Face- book, Twitter, Instagram and The summer camp off ers children the opportunity to take part in a variety of sports activities. Snapchat. Team Qatar Channel Swim makes history

From Page 1 Team performance director Ryan Bowd noted that swim- “The cold waters and the ming across the Channel is strong currents required push- usually a ‘professional athlete- ing yourself over the limit, I only’ challenge, which has been never faced anything like this successfully done by 1,508 in- before,” he added. “At some dividual swimmers in the past point you feel that your body 143 years. cannot take it anymore, but “So, for seven amateur ath- by being mentally strong you letes who have full-time jobs keep on going, and of course with families and commit- the support of everyone in the ments, to put in such eff ort team was also crucial in this during the last nine months, success.” to show such true dedication, Facing one of the tough- to be able to grow both physi- est challenges in the world, cally and mentally, to be able to Channel swimmers have to go push themselves to limits they through several hurdles such as have never thought was pos- strong tides, cold wind, waves, sible, is truly inspirational,” he oil slicks, jelly fi sh, fog and pos- stressed. sible rain or lightning along the The team members thanked way. their families for fully sup- The feat was even more spe- porting them in the past few cial for the team, whose mem- months, as well as their gold bers are aged between 34 and 52 partners, Al Asmakh Real Es- years, as none of them is a pro- tate Development and BMI Fit- Khalid al-Jalham on his way to the finish. fessional athlete. ness. Team Qatar Channel Swim’s arrival in France.

Dr Jamal al-Khanji

Dr Faleh al-Ali Fahad al-Buenain started his swim in the dark with the cliff s of Dover in the background. Professor Nasser al-Mohannadi takes a stroke towards France.